Edmonton – Alberta Liberal Leader David Swann says that Premier Stelmach’s fear of potential scandal is so elevated that he’s testing the waters to see if he can strip the Auditor General’s office of even the few powers it has.

Stelmach’s test comes in the form of a report titled “An Auditor General Who is Both Independent and Accountable: Working Effectively Within Alberta’s Westminster Model Democracy,” prepared by Ron Hicks, former Deputy Minister of Executive Council under both Ralph Klein and Ed Stelmach. The report was circulated to MLAs by Speaker Ken Kowalski.

The report attacks the legitimacy and purpose of the Auditor General’s office from the first page onward, noting that the Alberta government accepted only 77 percent of the office’s recommendations last year – and then placing the blame not on the Stelmach administration, but on the Auditor General! It also criticizes the Auditor General for daring to report to the public, rather than just the Assembly, and accuses the office of “imping[ing] on government’s policy making role.”

“This report attacks the very foundation of democratic accountability in Alberta,” Swann says. “The Premier’s sensitivity to criticism has grown so acute that he’s fostering a new culture of silence and authoritarianism. He can claim it’s just the opinion of a private citizen all he likes, but the reality is that Ron Hicks has huge influence; he’s served as the top civil servant under two Premiers. You can’t tell me that doesn’t carry some weight with Premier Stelmach.”

Swann notes that the Speaker’s actions have given the report a stamp of legitimacy.

“The Speaker doesn’t just hand out reports to MLAs on a whim,” Swann says. “This gives the appearance he’s endorsing Hicks’ views.”

Swann says that curbing the powers of the Auditor General is a dangerous blow against democracy.

“Had the federal Auditor General been muzzled in the way the Premier is proposing, the sponsorship scandal would never have come to light,” Swann says. “An Alberta Liberal government would be seriously strengthening the powers of the Auditor General, not attempting to muzzle him.”

The report can be found here: http://bit.ly/bpYhV1

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