AHS punished for unidentified violation during Brooks-MH byelection

By Medicine Hat News on August 16, 2024.

@MedicineHatNews

The province’s health agency, Alberta Health Services, has been reprimanded for actions it took during the 2022 Brooks-Medicine Hat byelection that saw Premier Danielle Smith win a seat in the legislature.

Government bodies are prevented by election regulations from advertising or making announcements during elections periods, but little else is publicly known about the contravention.

Elections Alberta says it is prohibited from releasing any details about the investigation, the substance of the complaint, who made it, or its findings.

“Elections Alberta is legislatively prohibited from publicly commenting about such matters,” reads a statement provided to the News.

The disciplinary action – citing unusual advertising during the election period – was listed on Election Alberta’s publicly available website on July 3, but the contents of the letter and any other details are not available.

Other media sources in Alberta reported on the letter this week but were also left without details after reportedly receiving a heavily redacted document through a freedom of information request.

The News has also made a similar request for the documents.

Elections Alberta states the violation as “restrictions on government advertising of programs and/or activities during a by-election period,” though it’s not yet clear what that might have entailed.

During a campaign, government is prohibited from making any major spending announcements or program improvements that have a “disproportionate impact on voters in the electoral division.”

Neither Smith nor her campaign are cited in the July 3 notice.

Smith became premier by winning the United Conservative Leadership contest on Oct. 6, 2022, and within days announced she would contest for the seat in Brooks-Medicine Hat, vacated by retiring MLA Michaela Frey.

The byelection period began on Oct. 11 and ended with general voting on Nov. 8. Smith secured about 55 per cent of votes to win the seat.

During the same time period, Smith announced she had major plans to restructure the agency, cancel some international agreements and make other changes that formed a large part of her party leadership campaign.

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