EDMONTON — Leading pro-Alberta independence referendum third-party advertising group "Let Alberta Decide" is calling on Elections Alberta to investigate the finances of Thomas Lukaszuk's Forever Canadian, saying the group's Monday announcement does not explain months of non-disclosure. "Elections Alberta should act promptly and transparently," reads a statement issued by Let Alberta Decide on Monday. "It should determine what contributions and expenditures are properly attributable to Forever Canadian’s referendum campaign, require the disclosure required by law, determine whether prohibited or excessive contributions were accepted, and take whatever enforcement action the legislation requires." The statement comes after Lukaszuk announced on Monday that his group intends to enter “the arena of a third-party advertiser” and advocate for Albertans to vote to remain in Canada in the Oct. 19 referendum. .Alberta's Election Finances and Contribution Disclosure Act requires referendum TPAs to provide weekly contribution reports and sets limits on how much a campaign can receive, how much an individual donor can give, and where donations can come from. The caveat is that the funds and donations must be used for advertising based on a referendum question. Forever Canadian registered as a referendum TPA with Elections Alberta on June 8, and they have distributed over 100,000 lawn signs, toured Alberta in their "unity bus," held concerts and events, and have two campaign offices. Lukaszuk has also publicly called for individuals and groups outside of Alberta to donate to Forever Canadian. The EFCD prohibits TPAs from receiving donations from outside Alberta.He has excused the lack of transparency, up to this point, by saying they are campaigning for "unity,” not a specific answer on the referendum. .This has long drawn the ire of TPAs abiding by the EFCD, prompting Let Alberta Decide to file a complaint with Elections Alberta and call for an investigation in July, while also delivering a scathing review of their enforcement up to that point. "Announcing in late September that Forever Canadian will now explicitly campaign for Option 1 does not answer what happened between May and today," their statement reads. "Nor does it answer how the substantial campaign activity already undertaken has been funded, valued and treated under the legislation.""These are not minor bookkeeping questions. Election-finance laws exist so Albertans can know who is financing referendum campaigns, so contribution and spending limits apply equally, and so no participant obtains an unfair financial advantage.".Let Alberta Decide claims that, despite filing their complaint with Elections Alberta over two months ago, the elections office has yet to take action. Numerous other groups have expressed similar complaints. "This is bigger than Forever Canadian or Let Alberta Decide," their statement reads. "Elections Alberta’s most important responsibility in this referendum is to administer the rules impartially and maintain public confidence that every participant is playing by the same rules.""With less than a month until voting day, Albertans deserve clear answers and deserve Elections Alberta to do better."
