When oversight is weakened, bad outcomes follow

In late April, Elections Alberta confirmed the unauthorized use of Alberta’s List of Electors by the Centurion Group Ltd., triggering what officials described as an extremely serious situation affecting millions of Albertans. The list contains the personal information of approximately 2.9 million voters. According to Chief Electoral Officer Gordon McClure, Albertans have responded with fear and anxiety, particularly those in vulnerable situations, including domestic violence survivors, law enforcement personnel and members of marginalized communities.

Elections Alberta issued a cease and desist order on April 28, followed by an emergency injunction from the Court of King’s Bench on April 30. The court has ordered the Centurion Project Ltd. and the Republican Party of Alberta to identify every individual or organization that received or accessed the data, along with their contact information.

Let that sink in. This is not a minor administrative error. This is the potential distribution of highly sensitive personal information across unknown networks, with no immediate way to contain the damage. Elections Alberta has made it clear that under current legislation, it cannot prevent this kind of misuse, only respond after the fact.

That should concern every Albertan. Now we need to talk about the political reality surrounding this.

During the United Conservative Party leadership race between Danielle Smith and Jason Kenney, there was a significant presence of Take Back Alberta members in my riding. I was not one of them.

I wrote editorials at the time raising concerns about that movement, and nothing that has happened since has changed my view. The approach is too fringe for my taste, too willing to push boundaries, and too dismissive of the consequences when lines are crossed.

And when something like this happens, it raises serious questions.

If individuals connected to that movement were involved, directly or indirectly, Albertans deserve answers. Not spin. Not deflection. Answers.

Because this is not just about data.

This is about trust.

I am a conservative. A card carrying one. But I believe in balance.

I believe government should watch my money. I believe in responsible resource development. I believe in hard work and personal accountability.

But I do not believe in trampling over people who are vulnerable or marginalized.

And I do not believe in a version of conservatism that ignores responsibility when it comes to power.

Because that is what this is about. Power without accountability. Access to information without safeguards. A willingness to operate in grey areas that put real people at risk.

What makes this situation even more troubling is what it reveals about the system itself. Elections Alberta warned in 2025 that legislative changes would make it harder to investigate potential wrongdoing. The requirement to establish reasonable grounds before launching an investigation limits the ability to act quickly when concerns arise.

That warning was ignored. Now we are seeing the consequences.

When oversight is weakened, bad outcomes follow.

This should not be a partisan issue. It should not matter whether you are conservative, liberal or anything in between.

Your personal information should be protected. Your participation in democracy should not expose you to risk. Political organizations, regardless of ideology, should be held to the highest standard when entrusted with that information.

Albertans deserve to know who had access to this data, how it was used and whether anyone will be held accountable.

If we do not demand those answers now, we are setting a dangerous precedent.

This is not the conservatism I believe in, and it is not the Alberta most of us want to live in.