Alberta Information and Privacy Commissioner Diane McLeod has intensified her demand for stricter privacy regulations governing political parties following a significant leak of the provincial voters list that has triggered hundreds of complaints to her office.
Massive Breach Sparks Fear
McLeod reported that her office has received over 400 emails and calls from Albertans expressing grave concerns for their safety after a version of the voters list, provided to the Republican Party of Alberta, was published online by the Centurion Project—a separatist group led by Take Back Alberta founder David Parker. The leaked data includes full names, addresses, postal codes, phone numbers, and unique elector identification numbers.
Public Outrage and Distrust
In a news release on Wednesday, McLeod's office shared samples of the correspondence. One Albertan wrote: "My personal information should never have ended up exposed like this, and I do not think the government fully understands how unsafe this makes some families feel." Another stated: "Knowing that personal information tied to our household could now potentially be accessed, shared, or misused is honestly terrifying." A third comment read: "Albertans trusted … political organizations to protect this information. That trust has been seriously damaged."
Ongoing Investigations
Elections Alberta provides the voters list to political parties, MLAs, and constituency associations for legitimate electoral purposes, with strict prohibitions against sharing it with third parties. Both McLeod's office and the RCMP are actively investigating the leak. McLeod described the incident as "the worst breach in Canadian history involving voter data" during her Wednesday statement.
Decades-Long Call for Reform
McLeod emphasized that her office has been advocating for amendments to Alberta's privacy legislation to include political parties for decades. "If a political party or other political actors collect, use or disclose personal information for political activities, they have a responsibility to respect privacy rights and be held accountable to uphold these rights," she stated. "We know that many Albertans are angry and extremely frustrated about what has happened."
Need for Modernized Laws
While acknowledging the unique role of political parties, McLeod argued that privacy laws must be updated to protect citizens' personal data. "Canadians' privacy should be protected to a common, acceptable level when it comes to political party activities, no matter where they are being carried out or by whom. This will serve to instill confidence in voters that their personal information will be managed responsibly," she said.
Postmedia has sought comment from the Alberta government regarding McLeod's remarks. The province last overhauled its privacy legislation in June 2025.
Public Support for Stronger Safeguards
McLeod also referenced an Ipsos poll released Wednesday, which indicates strong public backing for enhanced protections. The survey, commissioned by the B.C. Freedom of Information and Privacy Association, polled 801 Albertans and found that 84% believe political parties should be subject to the same private-sector privacy laws as other organizations.
