EDMONTON — The UCP government says it is looking into expenses claimed by Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction Minister Dale Nally, after the Alberta NDP alleged he used more than $5,400 in taxpayer funds for a "booze cruise" while on a trade mission to Kentucky.Alberta NDP leader Naheed Nenshi pressed Premier Danielle Smith during Question Period on Thursday over four receipts totalling $5,437.38, charged to taxpayers and expensed as taxi services in September 2025, while the minister was in Kentucky advocating for Alberta whiskey.Nally's expenses were paid to "Sip Kentucky," a company that runs bourbon tours across three distilleries."Here's the funny thing: he charged it as though it was a taxi, not once but twice, and you would think that the government would have noticed that the first taxi cost $3,200, and the second taxi cost $2,200," said Nenshi..Smith and Finance Minister Jason Nixon acknowledged the situation during Question Period. Both confirmed that Government of Alberta regulations prevent officials from expensing alcohol, except in specific situations, and said Nixon's office intends to look into the claims."I would have to say that we're going to take a look at the name of this particular taxi service," Smith said. "I know it was called a particular name.""My understanding is that it was a taxi service, and these are normal expenses that you pay when you go into any kind of international trip; there's an airfare cost, there's a hotel cost, there's a transportation cost, there is a per diem rate. There is not $1 that can be spent on alcohol, and we'll be looking into it."Nally said Nenshi and the Alberta NDP were wrong."There was no booze cruise," said Nally during Question Period. "This was a trade mission to Kentucky.""They have a $10 billion bourbon industry, Mr. Speaker. It's the biggest in the states. In Alberta, it's less than $750 million. We have a lot to learn. It helped inform the creation of the Alberta Whiskey Act, which they actually voted in favour of.".Nenshi questioned why no one had raised concerns about the $5,437.38 in "taxi" expenses before his party brought them to light."I have been on a lot of trade missions," Nenshi told reporters. "I've attracted billions of dollars of investment to Calgary and to Alberta, and yes, sometimes you need specialized transportation if you're in India, for example.""You don't need specialized transportation if you're in New York City or in London, or presumably in Kentucky, and you certainly shouldn't be spending $3,000 a day on this transportation, which obviously included more than just transportation."He also questioned what other expenses may have gone unnoticed."So, just running the ship over there," Nenshi said. "Ministers running them up, doing whatever they want, and as you know, when you find one of these things, it's never only one.""So, what other ministers have been spending money egregiously on Albertans during a cost-of-living crisis, where people can't afford to put food on the table, and they
