Alberta Deputy Premier Mike Ellis has not ruled out delaying the province's referendums scheduled for October, stating that the government must consider all options in light of the leak of the provincial electors list by a separatist group. The leak, which exposed the personal details of nearly three million Albertans, has prompted investigations by the Edmonton Police Service, the RCMP, Elections Alberta, and the province's information and privacy commissioner.
Investigations Underway
The information and privacy commissioner, Diane McLeod, announced on Thursday that her office is launching its own investigation into the collection, use, and disclosure of personal information by the Centurion Project, the separatist group allegedly behind the leak. McLeod stated that she has the authority to investigate and order compliance under the Personal Information Protection Act. The investigation will focus on whether Centurion had legal authority to gather, use, and share the data, whether it made reasonable security arrangements, and whether it failed to notify her office of the breach without unreasonable delay.
The leaked list includes names, addresses, contact details, and electoral divisions for nearly three million Albertans. Elections Alberta has alleged that the list was supplied to the Centurion Project by the Republican Party of Alberta.
Referendums at Risk
When asked by reporters if the referendums slated for October 19 should be paused amid the ongoing investigations, Ellis said, “There’s a lot of factors that we need to take into consideration. I can tell you that we have to look at all options right now. I can say there’s some very serious investigations that are going on right now.” Nine questions are slated to be put to Albertans in the October vote, covering topics such as immigration, judicial appointments, and abolition of the Senate. A separation vote could also be added to the ballot.
Petition Verification on Hold
Verification of more than 301,000 signatures supporting Stay Free Alberta’s separatist petition is on hold pending a court ruling. Meanwhile, the Forever Canadian petition, which calls for Alberta to remain within Canada, is before a committee of MLAs who will determine next steps.
Political Fallout
In the legislature, Opposition house leader Christina Gray responded to a point of privilege raised by government house leader Joseph Schow against Official Opposition Leader Naheed Nenshi. Schow argued that Nenshi should have shared his awareness of the Centurion Project meeting video with the government, accusing him of compromising the rights of assembly members to be free from obstruction and interference.
The developments have raised serious questions about the integrity of the upcoming vote, with Ellis emphasizing that the government is closely monitoring the investigations before making any decisions.
