If one has paid any attention to the print, television or Internet news this past week, they will have noticed the Town of St. Paul is taking a beating. Major media in Edmonton have picked up and made national the story of a Progressive Conservative leadership campaign email sent by CAO Ron Boisvert from his work email address. Additionally, the Town of St. Paul made donations to the PC association with its support of the annual MLA golf tournaments here and in other communities. Other municipalities in the province have been found to have made similar contributions, with the County of St. Paul donating a barbecue set and poker set in 2007 and sponsoring a team and a hole in 2008.
The paper trail of meeting minutes shows that several municipal councils in Alberta and St. Paul have thought it is OK to do so, when in fact it is against the Elections Finances and Disclosures Act for a municipality to donate to a political party.
After the fall out from Boisvert’s email, Town council decided to draft a computer use policy at its meeting on Oct. 11. Council also decided to look into the policies of other municipalities regarding political fundraisers. These policy proposals, while an acknowledgement of the need for change, miss the point.
Cutting a cheque directly from municipal taxpayers or providing a donation in kind to a political party is unacceptable. It means that voters who are Liberal, New Democrat, Wildrose or are supporters of other trends unwittingly contributed money to their political opponents. There are rules to prohibit such activity. Somewhere between the law on the books and the day-to-day activities of several municipalities in Alberta, it became acceptable to fork over money for partisan activities. Now the province and anyone in Canada tuning in is hearing about St. Paul as the home of “pork barrel politics.” Is this the way residents want to see the Town portrayed?
On the other hand, the mayor makes a good point that the PC association golf tournament is an important networking opportunity for St. Paul, with many politicians and regional leaders in attendance. Council members give up their day to attend and are not paid and the Town decided to pay the green fees in lieu of a per diem. Besides, it’s something that’s been done by previous administrations, he says. While Town business many be part of the experience, the tournament is still partisan fundraising and should not receive funds from the taxpayer.
Some claim municipal donations are the result of a government that has been in power for 40 years. The incidents throughout the province do not seem to contradict the statement. Opposing parties say municipal councils fear they will suffer in the pocketbook if they do not help fundraise for the governing party. An investigation could help determine whether the statement is just political rhetoric or if there is an element of truth. If nothing else, it could serve to give municipal councils a clearer understanding of what is and is not acceptable practice. Using the excuse that this is the way things have been done for years doesn’t make it right.
