Questions are swirling over who knew — and for how long — that the personal information of millions of Albertans was openly available for all to see on the website of an Alberta separatist group.
Now, Jason Kenney says he’s considering legal action after his address was allegedly shared at a meeting by the separatist group — which is run by the man who boasted about leading the charge to get the former premier ousted from office.
“I understand that my personal information, including my home address, was shared publicly on a screen at a recent Alberta separatist event,” Kenney said in a statement posted to his social media Tuesday afternoon.
“It was also recorded on video, and is now circulating.”
The data came from the Republican Party of Alberta’s legitimate copy of a list of electors, that Elections Alberta said unlawfully ended up in the hands of The Centurion Project — a group committed to getting Alberta to leave Canada.
The names, addresses and electoral districts of millions of Albertans were posted in a searchable online database for an unknown amount of time before a court order forced the separatist group to take it down last week.
The Centurion Project is led by long-time political organizer David Parker, who has said the goal is to recruit and identify those who support the idea ahead of a potential fall referendum. The group planned to use the database to achieve that goal.
Parker is best known for organizing a grassroots movement called Take Back Alberta.
It helped organize United Conservative Party members to cast ballots to take down Kenney in a leadership confidence vote. Take Back Alberta later helped galvanize support to help Danielle Smith win the UCP leadership party race to take Kenney’s place.
“Over the past few years I have received no shortage of threats from people broadly associated with the separatist/antivax /far right movement in Alberta,” Kenney said in his statement.
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“So it is disturbing that my personal information is now broadly available, particularly in those circles.”
Kenney said while he was targeted specifically, the broader data breach may also affect many other Albertans such as domestic violence survivors, journalists, activists, judges, and other public servants for years to come. Kenney added he is lawyering up.
“I will retain legal counsel to seek advice on recourse regarding this outrageous and potentially dangerous violation of my personal privacy.”
UCP staff attended meeting about voter database before website shut down
The Centurion Project meeting in question took place virtually on April 16.
The United Conservative Party caucus confirmed some of its staff attended the meeting, where the aim was to discuss how to access the website that’s now the focus of data breach investigations.
Staff regularly attend meetings of political interest and, in this case, organizers told them the database was obtained legally, the UCP said in a statement.
The caucus statement came shortly after the Opposition NDP said it has video evidence of the April 16 meeting with UCP attendance, and that authorities should have been alerted.
The NDP said the list of attendees and a video recording of the call identify a “Rob Smith” and an “Arundeep Sandhu” were in attendance.
The president of the UCP is named Rob Smith and the UCP caucus director of stakeholder relations is named Arundeep Sandhu.
The NDP is demanding answers.
“It means that the premier’s own staff and her most senior party officials knew about this data breach and did nothing,” Opposition NDP leader Naheed Nenshi said on Tuesday.
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The NDP claimed The Centurion Project members demonstrated at the meeting how to use the database to search for personal information of Albertans and allegedly used the former premier as an example.
“Jason Kenney’s personal information was shared on screen with all meeting attendees. This video appears to show the database that was built using the unauthorized electors list that was the subject of an injunction issued by the Court of King’s Bench,” the Opposition claims.
Elections Alberta said it started looking into the issue on Monday, April 27 but a Calgary-based journalist and political commentator says she raised concerns to the authority weeks ago.
With different timelines floating around, Nenshi questions why nothing appears to have been done until last week.
“Why was it not reported by the UCP, or any government official, to the police or Elections Alberta that The Centurion Project seems to have access, unauthorized access, to the electors list?”
The UCP shot back on Tuesday, denying its leader attended the meeting.
“Naheed Nenshi is using a common name to drag our president through the mud,” the UCP said in a statement to Global News. “Rob Smith was never at that meeting, nor has he been at any Centurion meeting.
“It is a flat-out lie.”
Shanna Schulhauser, director of communications for the United Conservative caucus, accused the NDP of not doing enough itself.
“We also remain concerned that members of the NDP, including the Leader of the Opposition, may have suspected the list was illegal but did not bring this information forward to the government for several weeks.
“Perhaps instead of pointing fingers and playing politics the NDP should let these independent bodies to their job and investigate.”
Elections Alberta and the RCMP are investigating.
—with files from The Canadian Press
When we had phone books, I, being a single woman living alone, for my own protection, had only my first initial, surname, and phone number listed–no address. Guess the separatists don’t think I’m entitled to that protection.
This seperatist movement must be financed by Russia, China or Space Aliens. Because Albertans should be the happiest people in the world being ruled under the iron boot of the Liberal Party.
Jason Kenney is devastated that his personal information will end up in the hands of a furnace cleaning company phoning him to see if he needs his furnace cleaned.
Interesting since Kenney had issues with where he was living in 2019 yet – “A former staff member at the Calgary retirement community where Jason Kenney claims to have rented a basement suite from his mother says the community’s lease agreements do not permit subletting — and a political scientist says the optics of the situation could be a problem heading into the spring election. On the weekend, lawyer and political activist Kyle Morrow accused the United Conservative Party leader of claiming his primary residence was in Calgary while living in and collecting secondary residence subsidies in Ottawa. House of Commons expenditure reports show Kenney collected secondary residence subsidies in Ottawa between 2012-15 of about $10,000 each year as an MP for Calgary Midnapore, while his mother’s retirement home in Calgary was listed as his address with Elections Canada.” It can all be found on the internet Jason.
hmmm, is this why we no longer get the white pages telephone books that had our names, address and phone numbers in them? To much private and personal information was in them?
@Les: That’s YOUR ignorance. Why do we care what some redneck like you has “heard of.”
Your info is now known by your enemies.
Thank Danielle Smith who won’t say what side she is on until she knows who is winning.
Why isn’t Danielle Smith and her circle being investigated by CISIS?
She and her group seem to be intertwined with these separatist.
This separatist group is nothing but Outside interference from America and should be considered high treason in Canada.
Why isn’t Carney and the feds rounding up and arresting these traitors?
Is it ok to have traitors running loose in Canada?
Also if you check there is a consevative MP whose timeline has simularities to Jeffery Epstein’s rise?
Is this person a CIA cutout meant to infiltrate Canada and Canadian politics?
Is Canada real this porous that anybody can infiltrate it?
It’s time to wipe this american shtstain off our country
The UCP must be jailed, they are complicit. UCP voters creep me out, no morals or ethics. Class Action Lawsuit too. They must be destitute and imprisoned for life. Coming for you David Parker
Until our tax dollar subsidized media brought them up, I had never heard of this group.
All voters violated CLASS ACTION
The law doesn’t apply to MAGA-financed Albertabama separatists, or the their United Criminal Party enablers.
Jason Kenny is such a drama queen.
He knows that these lists have been available to all policitial parties for decades, so his “enemies” as he portrays them, including Liberals, NDP, have had his address and the addresses of other voters for years.
Is this good or necessary? I don’t think so – but there it is. Perhaps a good reporter would delve a little deeper into the question of voter list availability instead of enabling political polarization via Jason Kenny and others.
-the Holocaust did not begin with gas chambers, but with words, antisemitic propaganda, and the bureaucratic creation of “lists” Not trying to trivialize the Holocaust or blow this out of proportion, just trying to shine a light on the underhanded and divisive tactics used by groups that often claim to be patriots and acting for the benefit of THEIR “country”. Be aware of who you are and what you support. And for those husbands, wives, mother or fathers who see your family members falling into darkness, remember sometimes the worst thing you can do is nothing. At least be a vocal advocate for what you honestly believe…
Smith is Canada’s anus.
When your province is a garbage dump, don’t be surprised to see its full of rats.
Poor Hellberta. Bahahaha
I knew about this for a while but didn’t have the balls to do anything about it.
I noticed Jason Kenney has removed his jasonjenneycom website which had his own contact information before complaining about that unregistered political group having his contact information.
Also if you want to look yourself up, check 411ca
Tension is building, how long before ucp imploded…
alberta separatists so stupid bro, complete joke
as an albertan i can tell you no one gives s hoot about this guy or where he lives. hes a washed up loser. gooo carney
Hope the separatist people responsible for this data leak are sued back to the USA. Canada Strong!!!!
RCMP need to step in and investigate the Alberta government this has gone far enough.
As a gay lesbian who looks like Gary Busey in Buddy Holly. I just want to remind everyone that if Alberta separates, they will burn all mmiw2slgbtqia+ on crosses, and if you’re a witch, they’ll throw you off a cliff. I am not making this up, a 2 spirited spirit told me this the other day after I ate my mushrooms the day before Sunday. I was also told they are white supremacist and they found Hilters secret grandson, and plan on making him the leader of the separatists if they succeed. The NDP will not let this happen, vote for me and I’ll cast a secret spell on them and make them regret even being born! My name is Janis Irwin, and you will know who I am because I am a gay lesbian who looks like Gary Busey in Buddy Holly.
Sue them Mr Kenney.
This is absolutely outrageous! I’ve been crying about this for some time now, and nobody ever listens to me. It makes me so mad that I hold my breath until I almost pass out and still nobody takes me serious. Danielle Smith is stoopid
Why doesn’t Danielle say who she is voting for? Because she will wait until she sees who is winning for her own career as always.
How predictable. Why would anyone give their info to these insecure merchants of negativity.
Lawyer up is right. EVERYONE THAT IS.
And law school. No teacher or doc wants to work here.
Law school.
More Jason Kenney drama as if anyone cares 😂
I hear banjos!!! Paddle faster!
Let’s hear it conservatives, how are you high tho justify this one?