Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has reinstated a policy requiring government officials to post receipts for taxpayer-funded purchases online, reversing a decision earlier this month that drew criticism from opposition parties and accountability advocates.Since 2012, the province has required ministers, senior officials, and political staff to proactively disclose their expenses, including itemized receipts for travel, meals, and hospitality. The rules were introduced following past expense controversies and have been described as among the strongest transparency measures in Canada.On Aug. 1, 2025, the province removed the requirement and took down eight years of archived records from government websites. Finance Minister Nate Horner’s office initially defended the change, citing security and privacy concerns, and said summaries of credit card statements provided sufficient information..The decision was met with pushback from journalists, opposition members and the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, who argued it weakened accountability. “Taxpayers need to know if bureaucrats and politicians are renting a Corolla or a Corvette on their dimes,” said Kris Sims, the CTF’s Alberta director.Smith, returning from a trade mission in Mexico, said she was not consulted on the change and directed officials to reverse it. Within days, the Treasury Board confirmed the disclosure rules would be restored and the receipts once again made available online.Opposition NDP finance critic Shannon Phillips said the reversal highlights the need for consistency in transparency measures. “Albertans deserve accountability they can rely on, not policies that change without notice,” she said.Alberta’s disclosure system remains stricter than most other jurisdictions in Canada, where only expense summaries are typically published and itemized receipts are not always made public.
