NDP fundraising law unfair

I was the Alberta Liberal candidate for Spruce Grove – St. Albert in the 2015 Alberta Provincial Election. Like many candidates I ran for elected office under a set of rules set out by Elections Alberta. Elections Alberta's Guide to Election Finances and Contributions Disclosure Act specifies who may donate. (p. 3, 4). Candidates and parties have until the end date of the campaign period, which is plus two months after the polling day to raise funds (p.17). This date for campaign 2015 is July 8, 2015. Not all campaigns generate sufficient revenue to cover costs so Elections Alberta provides a further three-month deficit reduction period, which as I understand is Oct. 8, 2015. (p.35)

Rachel Notley and the NDP have certainly clouded the provincial political fund raising waters with their proposed Bill 1 and its retroactive implementation date of June 16, 2015. As candidates of all parties across Alberta who participated in campaign 2015 continue to raise money to retire campaign deficits, I call upon the NDP government to immediately suspend implementation of Bill 1, until at least Dec. 1, 2015. As far as I am concerned, Bill 1 being implemented retroactively is as illegal Jim Prentice's premature election call and is unfair to the democratic process.

With all of the issues facing Albertans and the Alberta economy, I find it difficult to believe changing election funding is the No. 1 issue facing this province. I might agree campaign financing needs reform but to change fund raising rules for a campaign already underway is really unfair. The 2015 election was an illegal snap election. Many candidates were last minute additions. To change election fund raising rules in the middle after the money has been spent is really unfair to the women and men across this province who stood for office in campaign 2015.

Reg Lukasik, St. Albert