Premier Danielle Smith is criticizing the Opposition NDP for not telling her about a massive privacy leak involving a Alberta separatism website, after the site was demonstrated during a meeting attended by one of her caucus staffers.
In a fiery chamber debate Wednesday, Smith insisted the United Conservative Party caucus staffer didn’t realize a database shown at the virtual meeting three weeks ago involved a privacy breach with the personal information of nearly three million Alberta voters.
That meeting took place April 16, and the NDP has said it reported it to the RCMP the following day.
But the NDP didn’t tell her government, which Smith is claiming put the legislative assembly at risk.
The meeting and the UCP caucus staffer’s attendance were made public by the NDP on Tuesday, and comes after investigations were launched into a website made by a separatist group called The Centurion Project.
The website featured a publicly accessible database that Elections Alberta says it traced back to an official voter list it had supplied to the pro-independence Republican Party of Alberta.
Such lists are only distributed to political parties and elected officials and must not be shared with third parties.
Smith has said she only learned about the breach through media reports last week, but the UCP staffer’s attendance at the April 16 Centurion Project meeting has led NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi to question whether that was true.
Smith said she only learned about the meeting — during which Centurion Project leader David Parker demonstrated how the database worked by searching former premier Jason Kenney’s name and displayed his home address — when the NDP brought it up.
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The premier has denied accusations that she knew about the breach sooner.
Smith on Wednesday tried to turn the tables on Nenshi, arguing that it was the NDP’s responsibility to have informed the government, not just notify police when it became aware of the leak after the April 16 meeting.
“Why didn’t he tell the members of this legislature? Why didn’t he tell the government?”
“The member opposite should be ashamed of himself. People are sick of his antics.”
Smith said that the staffer, which the NDP has identified as the UCP caucus’s director of stakeholder relations, Arundeep Sandhu, regularly does research for caucus — but she insisted there was no way he could’ve known he was being shown an official voter list from Elections Alberta.
“That was not disclosed on the call,” she said.
Sandhu did not respond to a request for comment.
Nenshi questioned how it was possible that Sandhu watched as Kenney’s home address was shared and did not become concerned.
Kenney has said he is hiring a lawyer for advice on what to do following the breach.
“It’s just business as usual for this government to dox a former premier and put him at risk,” Nenshi said.
“That means the premier has created an office culture where it’s either OK to be incompetent and not know that’s a problem or to be so deeply unethical and not care.”
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Smith responded by saying it was unethical that Nenshi didn’t tell the assembly what he knew sooner.
“Every single person in this chamber had reason to be interested in that information, reason to want to know, and the member kept it secret.”
Nenshi responded: “In the premier’s world, calling the cops is keeping it secret.”
Asked later by reporters why he hadn’t told other members of the assembly sooner, Nenshi pointed to past close ties between the premier and David Parker, The Centurion Project leader.
Parker is best known for organizing a grassroots movement called Take Back Alberta, which helped organize UCP members in casting ballots to take down Kenney in a confidence vote, and galvanize support to help Smith replace him.
Smith also attended Parker’s wedding.
The two had a falling out two years ago, but Nenshi accused the government of being “embedded with the separatists” and was worried they would tip off the separatist group to get ahead of a police investigation.
“As I’ve said many times, if you suspect your neighbour is a thief and you call the cops, you don’t call your neighbour and say the cops are on the way.”
The Centurion Project’s searchable list was taken down last week after Elections Alberta went to court for an injunction.
The group has said it had obtained the data from an unnamed third party and that it would comply with the Elections Alberta investigation.
Parker has said the goal was to recruit and identify as many separatist supporters as possible ahead of an expected fall referendum.
Imagine our dear Premier demanding transparency.
All the training the Centurion project did said “Electors” on the data.
Admitting you employ incompetent people is a choice. And this is what the third excuse we’ve heard – “they weren’t there” “I didn’t know they were there” “only one was there but he’s an idiot” ? And they’re were TWO staffers – neither one noticed?
What a dolt. Yeah, the cops should warn the robbers that they are being watched.
Smith is as trustworthy as a crocodile with rabies.
How is Tylenol investigation coming along?
Has she not yet blamed this on Treadau or the federal liberals yet??
So, she has staffers there. It’s obviously a breach of privacy. I mean, seeing them search for Kenney’s address? But it’s up to the opposition to do her job for her? Marlaina gets more idiotic and corrupt by the day.
If Danielle Smith would have done her work properly she would have known what was going on.
..Classic..smith goes ‘we didn’t do our job, so it is your fault’….then has the paid help try to convince the gullible..stay in school kids, think critically and for yourselves..
Why would the NDP warned her when they most likely thought their own staffers would have done so themselves? Her caucus staffers are not her children or maybe they are 😂!
He did let her know when he went public. We have a right to know also, and it certainly shouldnt be secondary to the Premier. You know, when we know. Why didnt you know before the NDP? Hmmmmm indeed….more diversions, blame game tactics, I meant….questions
Corruption speaks in the UCP.
Now she wants the opposition to do her job for her????
Worst premier in Alberta history.
@ anonymous: On topic eh giggles? Read how stupid your post sounds blaming everyone but Smith for her referendum.
What could go wrong if this politician appointed her own bench? LOL
Moron Smithers here going….but, but, look over there!
Dani will say who she is supporting after she sees what is best for her career.
Ask a Wild Roser hohw loyal she is.
Obviously this twat is nuts when her own staffer caused the leak.
I’m shocked she’s not blaming Carney.
And she wants to appoint her own judges?
Wow.
Yeah right Dani. Why would they warn the king pin? She needs to be turfed.
Laughing at all you pathetic elbows up fucktards…… sucking off carney while fudge packed by Trudeau
She needs to be removed a year ago. Makes Redford look very good.
So it’s the NDP’S fault for Danielle Smith not doing her job and for her followers’ disgraceful betrayal of both Canada and citizens’ privacy rights! She wanted to be forewarned by the the opposition so she could have more time to prepare for a cover-up before the news hit the airwaves!
Governor smith of the seperatists party follows trumps playbook
Governor smith is worse than trump
Always blame someone else, just like trump . Governor smith of the separatists party of the wannabe 51 state without a doubt her government knew . Governor smith of the needs to be held accountable for her failures and lies . Aiding and abetting separatists to divide up Canada is treason.
Meanwhile over in BC, NDP premier David Eby has allowed FN from Washington state and Alaska to make claims against resource projects in Canada.
This is what the socialist NDP gets you.
Warned her?
Really??
She has proven how many times that listening is not something that she does especially if from opposition.
Never trust a socialist
I mean, we litterly have a female version of Donny in office atm. Deflect, littigate, blame other’s for the incompetence. That’s the UCP motto. Danielle Smith’s motto. No responsibility taken at all! I could care less about what’s going on down south of the border, that’s their dilemma to deal with, an unhinged wanna be Dictator. Up here in Canada we have standards, and the UCP are not meeting them by a long shot. It’s absurd to say the least!
Given by an unnamed third party Aka Smith.
Every time Nenshi speaks, he takes a hit in the polls. Keep up the great work, Naheed!
Methinks the lady doth protest too much–and she really looks and sounds rattled.
Why should Nenshi tell her when he had every reason to think she already knew, given that her director of stakeholder relations, Arundeep Sandhu, knew about it before Nenshi did? How was Nenshi supposed to know that Sandhu didn’t tell her?
How to harness a nothing burger for political gain: a study in manufacturing outrage.
1 is the loneliest number… and Danielle Smith is definitely a 1.
Remember pets at SPCAs, Humane Societies & Shelters rate much higher.
Next time you donate money, give to SPCAs, Humane Societies & Shelters, they know what they’re doing….not the UCP, they don’t know
Anything to distract from the fact that Nenshi’s NDP is polling 30 points behind Smith and the UCP.
Seems like there’s a great deal of rot in Alberta’s government right now.
Serious question for all the soft, soy-boy NDP supporters out there rage pounding their keyboards over this:
How do you sleep at night knowing there is no one out there safeguarding your old Blockbuster video rental account? Surely that info is just sitting in an online database somewhere! One small data breach and everyone will know you rented Boys Don’t Cry every Friday night for 8 years…
@king dont like it. Leave we will help you pack and play with your wife
Nenshi is a cancer to alberta.
Imagine if this idiot became Premier
Danielle Smith says NDP should have warned her of Alberta voter list privacy leak
That’s right,sure , everybody else is responsible for telling Danielle Smith about her incompetence.
Seriously?
Your Costco membership contains more sensitive personal information that what the centurion project leaked.
Enough with the fake outrage from UCP opponents.
She is the dumbest Premier that Alberta has ever had. The only people dumber than her are her supporters.
When did Alberta turn into a mini-USeh? This province used to be progressive. Now it’s just a bunch of old farts out of Calgary, rural mandarins, frustrated old folks with Facebook accounts, aging housewives, lonely rednecks, and small businessmen navel gazing about the non existent good old days. Throw in some good ole Made in Alberta entitlement and racism and you’ve got the makings of a calamitous UCP, the party of corruptible incompetents. Of course all this is bought and paid for by Chinese, Russian and American interests, who are fighting a techno-Cold War and using people as cannon fodder. Peter Lougheed (remember the Heritage Trust Fund and the Alberta Bill of Rights) must be spinning in his grave. Now there was a human being who believed in doing what is right and keeping the extremists at bay. Congratulations, you’ve been weaponized.
Name, address, phone number?
Sooo the same information that millions put on their dog’s collar?
Progressives must really be worried about a free Alberta if they’re making a mountain out of this mole hill!
So Smith is admitting she’s not competent and needs the NDP to tell her what’s going on and how to manage it? Then step down and let the grown ups sit at the table.
Her party who were at the meeting and saw what was going on at the meeting for the group she actively supports …. and it’s the NDP’s job to tell her….
Unreal. … ‘Berta Proud! LOL…
Traitors deserve two things: a rope and a tree branch.
Parker and Smith did not have a falling out. She attended his wedding in late 2024 and he was her guest at the UCP AGM
Yeah, just its the Liberals fault for not calling ahead of time to see if there is space for her to dictator Trump’s 2025 inauguration. It’s everyone else fault. She even baked him a cake.
You have got to be kidding me. Seriously. I’ld actually laugh if it was actually so serious. Danielle Smith’s government MP’s are in bed with separatists sharing voter information, not only to Albertans, but the entire world! She has the audacity to blame the NDP for it? Are you serious?
Absolutely ridiculous!
That mentally incompetent slob the NDP call a leader most definitely took his time informing people of the leak so he could use it to manufacture drama.
Anyone who legitimately believes he even remotely has Albertans as his primary concern is woefully mistaken.
You should have done my job for me the premier cried. Like what a joke
Maybe the UPC who attended the separatist meeting should have talked to their boss.
The NDP did the right thing turning the information over to the RCMP. Turning it over to Smith would have had Smith giving another attempt to stop any investigation.
Smith never takes responsibility for any of her actions, puts blame on others, eerily similar to the leader of the U.S.. A person could question if she may have NPD. Blame the NDP, lol, see what I did there.
No one actually cares. Companies have massive data breaches all the time and 99% of people just change the password. Even when huge amounts of data are leaked. Performative outrage. The guy probably should be fired though
The NDP doesn’t care about Albertans or our elected officials. All they care about is division. Nothing new. Theres a reason the NDP polling is in the toilets and this is yet another example of why.
Why would they communicate anything with Smith and the UCP? It’s safe to bet they’re involved in this scandal – you don’t give the criminals a heads up after you call the police. This is weak deflection. What Smith is effectively saying – if they’re not all corrupted – is that they’re clueless and incompetent and can’t perform their duties to Albertans with any reliability. A voter data breach in this context is a serious, serious issue that NEVER should’ve happened if these people were truly serving Albertans as they should’ve been. Period.
So a caucus staffer was completely clueless to privacy legislation and and data security attended an event where massive cash of personal data including the personal data of former Premier Kenney was demonstrated to be available to help the “cause” and the caucus member failed to share that information with the Premier and it is the NDP’s fault? That’s a Maple MAGA denial if I ever heard one.
Smith could never come to be ashamed of herself but people are sick of her antics.
Can the conservatives ever take fücking responsibility for their failures? Just a little self reflection would go a long way. This is what happens when you eleect narcissists, they think they’re perfect and above criticism and judgement.
Their is nothing pathetic the a leader not taking responsibility of for the actions if their party members. People are every tired of UPC never ending TRUST issues.