Jason Kenney’s United Conservative Party (UCP) have denied accusations of electoral interference after moving to fire Alberta’s election commissioner, according to the CBC.
This comes in the middle of an investigation into the UCP’s “kamikaze” electoral tactics in their party’s leadership election.
The UCP has planned to combine both the election commissioner’s office with the province’s chief electoral officer. This comes after the election commissioner levied $200,000 in fines towards the party.
Responding to this, the Alberta NDP leader Rachel Notley said the UCP’s plan “reeks of corruption. It reeks of the sort of entitlement and self-dealing the conservatives became known for … It’s an abuse of power.”
The NDP’s strong reaction may be a result of them creating the election commissioner’s office in the first place. Many of the NDP’s complaints may be regarded as partisan rather than a serious electoral concern.
The UCP, however, have brushed off these accusations. One UCP spokesperson, for instance, stated that the move to unify the two offices only had to do with increasing government efficiency.
Premier Jason Kenney is yet to comment on the bill’s controversy.