The Speaker of Alberta's legislative assembly has dismissed a motion from the governing United Conservative Party (UCP) majority seeking a point of privilege against Official Opposition Leader Naheed Nenshi. The ruling came after a week of debate over a leaked voter list video.
Background of the Privilege Claim
Last week, government house leader Joseph Schow claimed that NDP leader Nenshi had compromised the rights of individual members of the assembly by not informing the government and premier about a video indicating the province's voter list had been leaked. Schow argued that Nenshi's actions constituted obstruction, interference, intimidation, and molestation.
Opposition house leader Christina Gray responded by arguing that Schow had not demonstrated any actual harm, describing the complaint as frivolous. Nenshi had previously stated that he contacted the RCMP about the video soon after learning of it and questioned why the government had not done the same after confirming that at least one of its senior party staffers had been on the same call.
Speaker's Ruling
On Monday, Speaker Ric McIver sided with Nenshi, ruling that Schow failed to show evidence that any MLA had been obstructed from their duties due to the leaked list. McIver stated, "It is important to note that the purport of obstruction or interference must be real, that is to say that it has to have occurred, and it must not be hypothetical." He concluded by emphasizing the seriousness and gravity of the data breach, but found no prima facie question of privilege.
Understanding Points of Privilege
A point of privilege is a relatively rare procedural mechanism raised when something is believed to have limited the ability of one or more MLAs to perform their duties. Last October, then-independent MLA Peter Guthrie unsuccessfully sought a point of privilege against Schow.
Ongoing Investigations
Elections Alberta has secured a court injunction and is investigating how the version of the list it provided to the Republican Party of Alberta was shared with the right-wing separatist group known as the Centurion Project. Screenshots released by the NDP claim that the group showcased the app on an April 16 video call that included a demonstration involving the personal information of former premier and separatist opponent Jason Kenney. Kenney stated in a social media post that he is retaining legal counsel to seek advice on recourse.
Centurion Project founder David Parker, who is also the founder of activist group Take Back Alberta, denied last week any allegations that he personally received or distributed unauthorized voter data. The leak has prompted investigations by the Edmonton Police Service, RCMP, Elections Alberta, and the office of the information and privacy commissioner.
This article is based on reporting by Matthew Black.
