Lack of position on accountability issues shows true nature of Wildrose Alliance
Appearance at committee hearing unmasks WRA as complainers with no solutions
Edmonton – The Wildrose Alliance party’s inability to take a clear stand on openness and transparency in leadership races shows that the party has no answers to Alberta’s challenges, according to Alberta Liberal Leader David Swann.
Last week, the Standing Committee on Public Safety and Services met to hear presentations from five political parties on the issue of party leadership contests – whether or not such contests should fall under the authority of Elections Alberta and if donors’ names should be a matter of public record.
Alberta Liberals believe that the answer to both questions is “yes,” for the sake of openness. Leadership candidates for any party should have nothing to hide. The Alberta Liberal Party required leadership candidates to disclose the names of their donors during the last race, held in late 2008.
But the delegation from the Wildrose Alliance doesn’t approach leadership contests with any openness or transparency; they did not require their leadership candidates to disclose the names of their donors, and Danielle Smith took advantage of the freedom to be secretive.
“The Wildrose Alliance position on this issue is that we have no position,” Wildrose Alliance spokesman Vitor Marciano said at the committee meeting. “[T]he area in which the issue is important is not equally relevant or equally important across all political parties.” (Alberta Hansard, Public Safety and Services, July 8, 2010.)
Swann points out that candidates for the Alberta Liberal leadership race had to disclose their lists of donors in accordance with the party’s rules, and that he was happy to comply.
“There has never been any question in my mind that openness and honesty is the best policy, and a government under my leadership would insist on such,” Swann says. “Any leader that aspires to be Premier must be scrupulously transparent about where his or her money is coming from. Mr. Marciano is wrong – this issue is important to all political parties, and all people. The time for backroom deals and secret agendas is over in this province.”
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