Advertisement

Danielle Smith questions role Notley’s husband to play in upcoming election

Click to play video: 'Danielle Smith enters unofficial election campaign mode'
Danielle Smith enters unofficial election campaign mode
The writ has yet to drop but political parties are already in election mode. On Tuesday, UCP leader Danielle Smith held a campaign-style news conference surrounding health care. Saif Kaisar has more from Sherwood Park – Apr 11, 2023

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is raising questions about Opposition NDP Leader Rachel Notley’s husband and his role in the upcoming provincial election campaign.

Notley’s husband, Lou Arab, is a communications official for the Canadian Union of Public Employees and sits on the governing board of Notley’s NDP.

In a statement from her United Conservative party, Smith says she wants to know if it’s legal for CUPE to spend money on attack ads against the UCP given Notley’s relationship to Arab.

The statement didn’t specify what law Smith believes is being violated.

The NDP did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.

Get daily National news

Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

Smith made the statement in response to a story in The Globe and Mail that reported Smith attended the wedding last month of David Parker, the head of a third-party advertiser called Take Back Alberta.

Story continues below advertisement

Take Back Alberta is a growing force within Smith’s UCP, delivering blocs of members to party events to elect constituency board members, candidates and, to date, half the party’s governing board.

Notley has called for Smith to clarify her ties and allegiances to Take Back Alberta, saying the movement espouses “extremist views.”

Smith’s statement said she was invited to the wedding and attended.

Parker has described Take Back Alberta as a coalition of people exercising their democratic privileges to advocate for individual rights and freedoms, pushing back against such measures as COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

Take Back Alberta has ties with last year’s blockade at the U.S. border crossing at Coutts intended to protest COVID-19 rules.

Parker helped rally support within the UCP last year against then-premier and party leader Jason Kenney over his pandemic-era health restrictions.

As a result, Kenney received just 51 per cent support at a leadership review last May, prompting his resignation.

That paved the way for Smith to become leader last fall.

She has rejected the COVID-19 health measures and called those unvaccinated against the virus the most discriminated group she has seen in her lifetime.

Sponsored content

AdChoices