Global Courant 2023-05-18 21:42:00
Alberta’s ethics commissioner has found that United Conservative Party Prime Minister Danielle Smith has violated the Conflict of Interest Act.
Marguerite Trussler’s report comes at the tail end of a bitter election campaign with voters heading to the polls on May 29.
Trussler says the violation stems from discussions Smith had with the county attorney general regarding criminal charges against a pastor in Calgary.
Artur Pawlowski was found guilty of mischief and other charges earlier this month for his role in a protest over COVID-19 restrictions that snapped Alberta’s main border crossing into the US in early 2022.
Trussler says she is not recommending sanctions against Smith at this time, but reserves the right to do so once the legislature is back in session.
She does recommend that new legislators take training on the roles of the three branches of government.
This report from The Canadian Press was first published on May 18, 2023.
