‘Toothpaste is out of the tube’: Pro-separation advertiser says further action needed against Forever Canadian

A third-party advertiser campaigning in favour of Alberta separation said it is “better late than never” after Elections Alberta told a pro-Confederation group to disclose some campaign finances. 

Cory Morgan, who runs Pathway to Independence, has been vocal about Forever Canadian initially not declaring its fundraising totals. 

“It’s been pretty absurd that Thomas Lukaszuk’s been clearly running a campaign for months and never declaring any of his sources, never being bound by the fundraising and spending maximums that the rest of the organizations have been in this referendum,” Morgan said.

“And I’m just glad that at least they’re finally starting to take notice and make him disclose some of this.”

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On Friday, Elections Alberta announced a compliance agreement with Forever Canadian, identifying events the group held where speakers took a position on the referendum. It says Forever Canadian must include events in its expense reports, including those involving the group’s Unity Bus on or after Aug. 20. 

Forever Canadian, run by former deputy premier Thomas Lukaszuk, registered as a third-party advertiser on June 8. 

But until recently, it had not declared any financial contributions. Lukaszuk previously told CBC News that was within Elections Alberta’s rules, as his group was not promoting a specific referendum ballot choice.  

Last month, the group announced it would be directly campaigning and disclosing its election finances. As of Oct. 1, Forever Canadian reported more than $94,000 in donations to Elections Alberta.

The maximum contribution limit for a third-party advertiser is $607,000. Donations over $50 must be reported, and individuals can’t donate more than a combined $5,000 a year. Only Alberta residents can contribute. 

The rules themselves are not unreasonable, Morgan said, so long as everyone abides by them. 

“Has Mr. Lukaszuk’s organization raised beyond what the maximum is that everybody else is bound by? Like, we need to know these things, and the voting day is coming up only two weeks from now,” Morgan said. 

He said the compliance agreement does not go far enough.

“I hope this order goes further and we see some disclosure before people are casting their ballots, because clarifying this after the fact, you know, the toothpaste is out of the tube,” he said. 

Rebel News Network Ltd. filed a formal complaint to Elections Alberta in July about Forever Canadian’s financial reporting. 

That was followed by an application for a judicial review last month, calling on the court to require the complaint to be expedited ahead of the upcoming referendum. The court ruled against doing so. 

On Oct. 19, Albertans will vote on whether they support remaining in Canada, or to have a second, binding referendum on secession.

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Stephen Carter, who heads the pro-Confederation third-party advertiser Alberta’s Voice, says he approves of the compliance agreement. 

“I think that it’s important that we have a referendum that everybody can say at the end was run fairly and properly by Elections Alberta,” Carter said. 

“I’m much more comfortable now that Forever Canadian is a part of the rule set in the third-party advertiser rules.”