An investigation of 10 Tory constituency organizations launched by the province’s chief electoral officer over illegal donations is becoming a political hot potato for Premier Alison Redford’s government.
Earlier this month, Progressive Conservative Party president Bill Smith acknowledged the existence of an investigation in a press release on the party’s website. Smith also directed 73 other constituency organizations to conduct an internal review of donations received over the past 36 months. The 10 constituency organizations under investigation were not revealed.
Many of the most recent allegations involving Tory constituency organizations have come from the Wildrose Alliance Party, who have suggested many communities and organizations feel pressured to donate to the P.C.s, even in contravention of the law.
“I don't see our response as an attack but rather an attempt to expose illegal behavior that has become standard operating procedure for the P.C. party,” said Cardston-Taber-Warner Wildrose Alliance Party candidate Gary Bikman. “It constitutes evidence of a form of intimidation that has characterized the P.C. attempt to retain power. I have personally talked with village and town councillors and CAOs in my riding who've revealed a poorly-kept secret — that they've been told by P.C. MLAs that if they expect to receive funding for their projects, it'll only happen if they're elected or re-elected.”
Under provincial law, it is illegal for municipalities, schools, post-secondary institutions and government bodies to make partisan political contributions. School divisions have been "prohibited corporations" since 2004.
According to a Jan. 5 Calgary Herald article, the Cardston-Taber-Warner PC constituency organization is among those involved in allegations made public last fall, while Cardston was among the communities named.
“I think it's a very serious indication of the P.C. party's high-handedness, disrespect for and abuse of the rules of ethical behaviour and common decency,” said Bikman. “It's sort of like saying, ‘We made these rules and everyone should follow them but us.’ ”
In Bikman’s view, proper donation procedures have not always been followed with regard to the local P.C. constituency association, but he doesn’t necessarily attribute this failing to local party members.
“I blame P.C. party leaders in Edmonton for this. I know many of the P.C. constituency association people personally and have respect for them. I think they've been told by the party leaders — including the premiers — that this is the tactic and strategy that is to be used. I've heard it. The P.C. party has operated for many years. It has retained it's power by using taxpayers dollars to buy votes and frightened the electorate and local constituency associations, voters and community leaders into believing that if they didn't have a P.C. MLA that was well connected in Edmonton they'd be ‘sucking a hind one,’ so to speak.”
Cardston-Taber-Warner Progressive Conservative Party candidate Pat Shimbashi, who previously served as president of the local P.C. constituency organization, addressed the allegations of improper donations in the riding.
“If the allegations of the Wildrose Alliance Party are true, it is very serious. I've been the president of the Cardston-Taber-Warner P.C. association for the past three years until I resigned as president before the nomination for the right to represent the P.C. association in Cardston-Taber-Warner constituency, and I can say that I refute the accusations in this constituency. If a local government’s towns, villages, county, M.D., school boards or irrigation districts and otherwise, have done so (donated) illegally under the Election Act, when they are sworn in, those elected know the rules. The charges that were made by Paul Hinman — there are issues that need to be questioned (in) his campaign whether it was in our constituency when he was elected and when he lost to Broyce Jacobs in the last election.”
Bikman made it clear that in his view, ignorance of the law is no excuse.
“Are you really asking if I think local people consciously set out to break laws, then my answer is, no, I don't. But ignorance of the law is not a legitimate legal defense, and cannot continue to be rewarded. I seriously believe that the P.C. party leadership has been corrupted in the way stated in the cliché, ‘Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely.’ The P..C party, after 40 years could be the ‘poster party’ for this saying. Political parties and diapers should be changed regularly — and for the same reason.”
According to the same Calgary Herald article noted earlier, in 2009 the Town of Cardston waived the green fees for a P.C. fundraising golf tournament. Town officials claimed this had been done only to promote the course and the same offer would have been open to any other political party’s fundraising efforts.
Shimbashi is aware of this specific allegation.
“I believe there has been questions asked about a golf tournament that was held in Cardston three years ago,” he acknowledged.
Allegations over improper donations are only one symptom of a deterioration of democracy in Alberta under decades of P.C. domination, according to Bikman.
“I'm encouraged by the courage and integrity of former P.C.s who have come to realize that under the P.C. party Alberta has ceased to be a democracy and has become a legislative dictatorship. Democracy is only a fit form of government for honest ethical people.”
For Shimbashi, though the allegations are serious, there is a good deal of pre-election posturing on the part of the Wildrose Alliance Party.
“The Wildrose Alliance are embarking on the eve of their campaign and they have chosen ‘trash talk’ in an attempt to get away from the real issues. Personally, I want to stay on the high road. For example, the recent task force on property rights was a process our new premier wanted to get right. I believe those who attended these task force events believe Premier Redford is on the right track — ‘bottom up and not top down.’ ”
The maximum penalty for an illegal donation under the province’s election legislation is $10,000.