Via the Edmonton Journal:
Conservative linked to Katz donation named chairman of the Alberta Economic Development Authority
BY KAREN KLEISS, EDMONTON JOURNAL JANUARY 30, 2013
EDMONTON – Premier Alison Redford has given a provincial political appointment to a veteran Conservative insider who allegedly brokered a $430,000 donation from Oilers owner and billionaire Daryl Katz.
Media reports quoting unnamed sources suggested Wednesday that Calgary businessman Barry Heck is the party fundraiser who persuaded Katz to make the donation now under investigation by Alberta’s Chief Electoral Officer.
Redford has named Heck chairman of the Alberta Economic Development Authority.
Heck has declined to comment on the allegations, citing the ongoing investigation.
On another election finance related note, Progressive Conservative President Jim McCormick has also asked Chief Electoral Officer O. Brian Fjeldheim to reverse orders mandating that the party repay thousands of dollars in illegal donations tied to post-secondary institutions and local governments
9 replies on “What the Heck? Tory tied to donation controversy now head of Alberta Economic Development Authority.”
So, will Redford be sour if Rutherford reports on this and the Elections Alberta don’t make us repay thing?
It just never stops.
Yes the angry, American style, ideological politics and half truths of the Wildrose never ends.
My comment intended for here arrived on Facebook. I earlier said that hopefully full info on the Katz donation(s) will be revealed soon; also said I cannto comprehend the thinking (or lack thereof) of the party president asking NOT to have to return illegal donations.
Rutherford has developed acute “Redford Derangement Syndrome”. Who cares! His whole show is now devoted to beating up the Conservatives who are running a whole province, not a little talk show. Its like he’s got Smith in his studio yelling “more more more” and him yelling back “how do you like me, how do you like me” like the old disco song. Who cares about a little golf tournament in Bawlf or Entwhistle, there are major decisions to be made, not sitting around like a bunch of WRP trained monkeys picking nits off each others backs. WRP is running up the deficit demanding inquirys into everything from health care cue jumping to I expect the high cost of snuff next.
It’s offensive actually that no one will go to jail for what was obviously an organized shakedown of public institutions to redirect taxpayers’ monies to the already fattened Tory coffers. I don’t believe the denials of either the party officials or the presidents of universities, municipal councillors, etc. that none of them knew what the laws were regarding giving public monies to a political party. These are not, for the most part, stupid people. It’s only commonsense that taking money from taxpayers and handing it to the governing party is unethical and probably illegal. Why would these clever folks have chose to act unethically without either checking their consciences (assuming they have any) and/or the laws? Had none of them followed the federal Sponsorship scandal? And why were these illegal contributions happening across a huge swath of institutions over a long period of time? Just coincidence or organized governing party policy?
I can’t tell you how much I am enjoying watching the ‘nothing to see here’ embedded neocon cheerleaders and their ‘if we could just privatize and deregulate simply everything I wouldn’t mind your paying foreign banks for access to breathable air’ upstart neoliberal brethren attempting to rip each others’ faces off.
“Evil oft mars itself.”-Tolkien
Further to Alvin’s comment, my moment of clarity came in 2004, when the then Presidents of the Universities of Alberta, Calgary and Lethbridge send a joint letter in support of Klein when he was found guilty of plagiarism. Personally, I will never forgive Rod Fraser for his part in staining the U of A, (where my children earned their degrees honestly) with his support of this travesty of academic dishonesty.
The PCs say they’ll repay $17,000 (illegal direct contributions)and they might repay the $100,000 illegally collected prior to Apr 2010 even though they don’t have to, but they won’t repay the $6900 (illegal indirect contributions) made by politicians and school trustees because the PC party didn’t know the $6900 was illegally collected, therefore it’s up to the politicians and school trustees, not the PC party, to pay it back. Seems to me the PCs are taking no responsibility for their own lack of governance. It’s up to the PC party and the constituency associations hosting fundraisers to make the rules clear to potential contributors. This isn’t difficult. The fact that there were no violations by the Wildrose, the Liberals, the NDP, the Alberta Party and the Greens proves that if a party wants to comply with the rules it will.