Elections Alberta has ruled that the Alberta New Democratic Party (NDP) violated election finance regulations during its recent leadership campaign.
The determination follows a complaint filed by the United Conservative Party (UCP) in February, which alleged that the NDP was improperly classifying membership fees as direct financial contributions. The UCP argued that this practice contravened Section 25(1) of the Election Finances and Contributions Disclosure Act, which stipulates that annual membership fees should not be considered as contributions.
Additionally, the UCP claimed that a provision in the NDP’s constitution—where any donation over $10 is deemed a valid membership renewal—was also in violation of the election finance rules.
This week, Elections Alberta confirmed that the NDP did indeed breach the regulations. The NDP now faces a potential fine of up to $5,000 for this violation.
Photo from Alberta NDP website
