WATCH ABOVE: Hoping to turn the page on its scandal-plagued past, Alberta’s PC government introduces new accountability legislation. Tom Vernon has the details.
EDMONTON – Alberta is bringing in new rules it says will help clean up government, but opponents say the real test is whether Conservative Premier Jim Prentice’s team will actually follow them.
The changes are contained in Bill 2, named the Alberta Accountability Act. The act follows up on a campaign promise made by Prentice to correct the spending irregularities and excesses that occurred under former premier Alison Redford.
Among other changes, the act extends the cooling-off period for those leaving government, tightens up provisions for sole-source contracts, and limits the amount of severance paid to political staff.
READ MORE: Top 10 revelations to come out of Alberta’s auditor general report
Redford’s staff received more than $1 million in severance when they left in the spring, and Alberta’s auditor general has reported the government ignored its own rules on handing out sole-source contracts.
Wildrose member Rob Anderson says no act can close all the loopholes, and he says it’s up to Prentice to prove his act will live up to not only the letter of the law, but the spirit of it as well.
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