Alberta's chief electoral officer warns proposals in Bill 54 will hurt investigations

Lisa Johnson · The Canadian Press

· Posted: May 10, 2025 3:02 PM EDT | Last Updated: 8 minutes ago

Alberta's main electoral serviceman is informing the authorities that projected authorities volition impair the predetermination commissioner's powerfulness to analyse predetermination regularisation breaking.

A arguable measure introduced past month, if passed, volition marque sweeping changes to voting and referendums successful the province, and is making its mode done statement successful the legislature.

In documents sent to Justice Minister Mickey Amery and each legislature members Friday and obtained by The Canadian Press, main electoral serviceman Gordon McClure warns that immoderate changes successful the measure volition trim the predetermination commissioner's quality to analyse and enforce compliance with predetermination law, including fiscal publication rules and limits.

A summary of concerns attached to the email says 1 of the bill's projected changes would importantly trim the clip play for Elections Alberta to enforce sanctions aft alleged misconduct occurs — to 1 twelvemonth from three.

"None of the important investigations undertaken by the elections commissioner successful the past 5 years would person been completed if this reduced clip play had been successful place. Several existent investigations volition not beryllium completed," the papers says.

It adds that Elections Alberta doesn't adjacent person astir complaints astir fiscal compliance wrong a twelvemonth due to the fact that of assorted fiscal reporting timelines.

McClure writes that immoderate of the measure makes improvements, but different changes "will deteriorate the work provided to electors, compromise Albertans' spot successful the antiauthoritarian process, and region elements of transparency and accountability."

The summary says the measure volition besides present a caller threshold for investigations, putting the onus connected a complainant to "provide a substantively completed investigation" earlier the predetermination commissioner tin adjacent commencement looking into a complaint.

"We are not alert of immoderate different jurisdiction successful Canada that has imposed a akin modular to initiate investigations," it says, noting that determination would destruct the bulk of compliance enactment by the predetermination commissioner.

And, if the measure passes, it would unit the predetermination commissioner to support their decisions arsenic a "quasi-prosecutor" earlier the courts if they are appealed, the papers says.

McClure points to further concerns astir the elimination of ballot anyplace provisions, the removal of vouching for elector identification, and the alteration to timelines associated with peculiar ballots.

Amery said successful a connection Friday each of the bill's proposals are meant to "protect our democracy, present just and unfastened elections, and reconstruct assurance successful each ballot formed by Albertans."

Amery did not straight code McClure's concerns, nor did helium accidental if helium would see walking immoderate information of the authorities back.

"Alberta's authorities consulted with Elections Alberta," helium said, adding if the measure passes, Elections Alberta volition person the resources it needs to comply.

"These changes are meant to grow opportunities for Albertans to enactment straight successful democracy, including the enlargement of peculiar ballots, giving much flexibility with the types of impervious of residence that tin beryllium used, and improving callback and national inaugural processes," Amery said.

The NDP has raised galore concerns astir the bill, saying it volition pb to elector suppression, and present "dark money" by allowing firm and national donations into the process.

Opposition NDP justness professional Irfan Sabir told The Canadian Press connected Friday the measure volition marque the predetermination process little transparent.

He said McClure's missive raises superior concerns that the governing United Conservatives are undermining investigations into predetermination law, which would fto those who interruption the rules disconnected the hook.

"If there's cipher to analyse whether the rules were upheld, past those rules don't mean anything. That volition surely interaction the spot and assurance that Albertans person successful their predetermination system," helium said.

The projected measure has besides been making headlines since its instauration due to the fact that it would little the threshold for a citizen-led referendum, including connected separating from Canada.

Critics person said that opens the doorway to part astatine a clip erstwhile the state needs to beryllium agreed against the commercialized warfare tariffs of U.S. President Donald Trump.

The time Amery introduced the bill, Premier Danielle Smith said its changes would guarantee Alberta's provincial elections are open, unafraid and accessible.

"Democracy is the instauration of our freedoms and the root of legitimacy for governments astatine each level. It indispensable beryllium protected, strengthened and defended, and that's precisely what we are doing," she said.

"I judge ideology thrives erstwhile radical spot the process."