The Wildrose has asked the Chief Electoral Officer for an investigation into allegations a former executive with the Calgary Health Region attended and hosted partisan Progressive Conservative party events at taxpayer expense.
According to documents the Wildrose obtained through a Freedom of Information (FOI) request, Lynn Redford, Premier Alison Redford’s sister, expensed $3,500 on PC party fundraiser tickets, party AGM costs, and other political events between 2005 and 2008 while she was the Government Relations Advisor for the Calgary Health Region.
“We sent a letter to the Chief Electoral Officer with our findings and asked for an investigation into what looks like illegal contributions from Lynn Redford when she was employed by the health region,” says Wildrose Leader, Danielle Smith.
The documents also show Redford expensed donations to the Liberal Party of Canada. Out of the $7,668.28 expensed between 2005 and 2008 during her time with Capital Health Region, nearly half of the claims are related to political activities.
Taxpayers were billed for, among other items, $387 for drinks, liquor and bug repellent for a Tory MLA barbecue in 2007.
Under Alberta law, it is illegal for publicly-funded institutions like the Calgary Health Region to make political donations.
The Wildrose isn’t stopping with its investigation request to the Chief Electoral Officer. The Official Opposition has also sent a letter to the Commissioner of the Health Services Preferential Access Inquiry, Honourable Justice John Vertes, requesting Lynn Redford be a witness in the inquiry.
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“When you look at a person who was the prinicpal go-between between the health region and politicians, who was in Hansard, being declared as getting two hours service for MLAs, and then, in addition to that, you see that she is the political go-to person, we think she’s a person who probably has a good story to tell, and we think that she should be called before the Commission to find out what she knows,” expresses Smith.
The Wildrose is also asking for “all Government Relation Officers from all the now defunct health boards and from AHS” to be interviewed.
“If this is part of their job, was facilitating access for politicians, it seems to go right directly to the terms of reference for the committee,” says Smith.
The Access Inquiry will look at whether people are able to “jump the line” to access health care in the province. The inquiry has the power to subpoena witnesses.
On Monday, the Progressive Conservatives fired back at Smith and the Wildrose with its own accusation.
“The childish saying, when you point a finger, four point back at you. I can tell you that I know that the Leader of the Opposition attended a federal Conservative fundraiser, and the tickets to the fundraiser, so it’s not just a dinner, it’s a fundraiser for a federal political party, she expensed; not only for herself, but for her Sun Media husband,” said Deputy Premier Thomas Lukaszuk.
On Tuesday, Smith said the expense claim was never processed.
“Submitted by a junior staffer, withdrawn by a senior staffer, and it was never paid,” replies Smith.
Concerns over executive spending in the Health Region were thrust into the spotlight in August, when documents showed Chief Financial Officer Allaudin Merali had claimed nearly $350,000 in expenses, including lavish meals, wine and repairs to his Mercedes Benz, which he claimed while he was an executive for the Capital Health Authority.
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