Alberta Premier Rachel Notley has been cleared of any wrongdoing after attending a big-ticket Ontario NDP fundraiser in February, the premier’s office said Monday. At the time, the Wildrose claimed she solicited donations from companies doing business in Alberta, and called for an investigation.
“I’m happy to see the ethics commissioner’s ruling and she’s made it clear that the premier was exonerated of any wrongdoing, that we operated within the Act and within the legislation and unfortunately, it seems like the Wildrose keeps slinging partisan mud,” Health Minister Sarah Hoffman said Monday. “We’re focused on jobs and the economy and trying to make sure that we’re governing and not making up personal attacks.”
The Opposition had asked ethics commissioner Marguerite Trussler to look into Notley’s involvement in the Feb. 19 event.
“(Premier) Notley once campaigned on greater openness and transparency in politics, but within a year she is now conducting secret, big-money fundraisers for her friends,” Jason Nixon, Wildrose critic on the democratic accountability file, said in February.
Watch below: Global’s February coverage of the controversy around the Ontario fundraiser
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Premier Notley faces scrutiny over Ontario NDP fundraiser -
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Wildrose Party responds to Rachel Notley’s appearance at Ontario fundraiser and byelection -
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Rachel Notley responds to questions about Ontario fundraiser -
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Wildrose says Premier Notley is against the spirit of her own law -
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‘There was no benefit to me or the Alberta NDP’: Notley
Hoffman acknowledged concerns around the “optics” of the event, which was not advertised publicly.
“I’m sure the party will take that into consideration, but there’s nothing wrong with what was done. …I think the worst optic is for people to make up allegations and to be threatening the premier’s reputation when there’s nothing to found those allegations.”
“I imagine that there will be…different fundraising dinners in this province, but I think we could certainly advertise them more broadly.”
READ MORE: Wildrose calls for investigation into Rachel Notley at Ontario fundraiser
Notley previously addressed the issue while speaking to the media four days after the event. She said as the leader of a provincial party, it’s not uncommon for party leaders to ask leaders of other sections of the party to attend events.
“All of the money, of course, raised from that goes to Miss Horwath and the Ontario NDP,” Notley said. “As far as being a provincial leader that attends fundraising events in other provincial sections, that’s been going on in all parties by pretty much all provincial leaders for a very, very long time. I simply did it as a favour and I did not do any evaluation of where these people were from. ”
Notley’s spokeswoman, Cheryl Oates, previously said the premier cleared the event beforehand with Trussler.
Oates said Notley did not travel at the government’s expense, and that none of the donation money went to the Alberta NDP.
With files from Global’s Caley Ramsay and The Canadian Press
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