The Wildrose Party has taken aim at employees of Stettler County in its most recent salvo of Freedom of Information requests.
In a press release, Wildrose MLA Shayne Saskiw asked for an investigation by Elections Alberta into possible violations of financing laws by the County of Stettler.
This comes in light of an e-mail from an employee of Stettler County in regards to a newly created Facebook page supporting former MLA Jack Hayden before last spring’s election.
“I believe the documents obtained and attached establish a prima facie case that a municipal employee created a Facebook page for PC candidate Jack Hayden with County resources,” said Saskiw in a letter to Ms. Lori McKee Jeske, Acting Chief Electoral Officer.
In the letter he also alleges the employee communicated highly partisan materials through a county e-mail address and that county trucks could have been used to post election signs.
Rick Strankman, MLA Drumheller-Stettler asks for Elections Alberta investigation into Stettler County employeees
Drumheller-Stettler MLA Rick Strankman says it is his responsibility to look out for the taxpayers.
“This is not a personal vendetta about myself, there appears to be irregularities there and so Mr. Saskiw decided to issue a press release in that regard,” said Strankman.
Strankman said the responsibility for this kind of action falls on a number of people, from staff right up to Hayden.
“The County and County staff would be (responsible) for using public resources for political activities. I have a duty too, as an elected official, to not be doing that, and to be a guardian of public funds,” said Strankman. “It is public money and employees are being paid on public time for that. (For my staff) I have consequences for people even doing Twitter, although it is open knowledge that many staff Twitter during work hours.”
He said he has warned his own staff about such actions.
His question coming out of this event was if there were any consequences for the staff member from the reeve or administration.
Strankman said he was the one who instigated the investigation into the employee after seeing the person at an election forum in Drumheller.
“The research team took it from there,” said Strankman.
Jack Hayden said he believes in the Freedom of Information Act, but feels these requests are personal in nature.
“They are out to discredit and demean people. I love my constituency and just wish they would get around to representing people, and looking after the interests of the communities, because that is what I did,” said Hayden.
He would like those asking for the investigation to come forward if they have something of substance.
“They are talking allege, allege, allege, it is a drive-by smear campaign. I am fair game because I was in public life,” said Hayden.
He said time and resources could be better used to fight for schools, hospitals or seniors.
“I feel so bad for the people of my constituency because this is the kind of representation they have now,” said Hayden.
