Cyr: Notley Selling Access to herself Concerning

Alberta’s Premier, Rachel Notley attended a fundraising dinner, on Friday, in Toronto, that was hosted by Ontario NDP leader Andrea Horwath. Bonnyville-Cold Lake MLA Scott Cyr, who is a member of the Official Opposition, the Wildrose Party, says Notley’s attendance at the dinner was very concerning, and goes against the regulations set in place by the Alberta Government to not accept contributions.

“Premier Notley was selling access to herself, in Ontario, for $10,000 a pop, to Alberta companies,” Cyr explains late last week the Premiere attended a dinner, that cost attendees $9,975-per-plate and served as a fundraiser for the Ontario NDP party. What’s doubly concerning about the dinner is the Ontario NDP’s platform of anti-pipelines, and anti-Alberta oil, says the MLA. “The big thing about this is it’s corporate donations, which is something that we’ve banned in Alberta. The Alberta Legislature brought forward a motion and it was unanimous that we would ban corporate and union donations within Alberta.

It seems to be a very confusing message that the Premiere is putting out right now, that she’s doing fundraising in other provinces and taking corporate donations from Alberta companies. – Scott Cyr MLA Bonnyville-Cold Lake

“The Wildrose supported banning the corporate and union donations so it’s upsetting that [Notley] is finding ways around the rules and helping NDP colleagues in different provinces, which are against the pipelines going east. The Ontario NDPs are very clearly against our pipelines, so she’s fundraising for the NDP party, with Alberta companies, at $10,000 a pop. It doesn’t make any sense that she’s doing this for a group that is trying to keep our oil way from the tide water,” Cyr says he, along with the Wildrose Party are hoping to inform Albertans of what he sees as very concerning behaviour from the Premier.

“We’re seeing some pretty unfortunate patterns,” Cry explains this isn’t the first time Premiere Notley attended fundraisers of this nature. Last night, a fundraiser was held, where for $1,000, offered people the chance to mingle with Notley and NDP cabinet ministers and MLAs in advance of a publicly advertised $250 fundraiser at the Art Gallery of Alberta. That event is said to have been cleared by the ethic commissioner.

The Wildrose released a statement last night saying they plan to put in a complaint with the ethics commissioner regarding the fundraiser in Ontario. They hope the commissioner will investigate Notley’s involvement in the fundraiser to benefit the Ontario NDPs.