Laurie in Question Period
Third-Party Advertising
Ms Blakeman: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. After the election and again this fall the Premier discussed bringing in legislation to ban third-party advertising. Now, interestingly, the largest third-party advertising in the recent U.S. election was from members of the Mormon church and other faith-based coalitions who were campaigning for the adoption of Proposition 8 in California. My questions are to the Premier. In this government’s zeal to bring in legislation banning unions and other third-party advertising, will it also capture religious and faith-based organizations?
Mr. Stelmach: Mr. Speaker, I don’t know why this party is saying that I’m the one that wants to see this legislation. I don’t. If somebody wants to go ahead and advertise, go ahead. I know one group that spent $2.2 million. Well, I think they spent – first of all, you never know who is spending it. Then they did spend it, and quite frankly I see the results, 72 seats. Perfectly happy.
Ms Blakeman: You are quoted in the paper as saying that, Mr. Premier. [interjections] Well, you’ll have to take that up with the newspaper.
Again to the Premier: has the government considered what legal justification the government can give to banning advertising by groups they don’t like and allowing advertising by groups they do like?
Mr. Stelmach: I don’t know where the member is coming from. Do you see something on the Order Paper that I’m missing? I don’t see anything like that. I did want to see some proof that, you know, once we complete the Liberal leadership, which I think is going to be a week-long event sometime in December, not to give them additional advertising here in the Legislative Assembly – I’m sure that they will detail absolutely every dollar they receive from any Albertan and any national or international company because they said they’ll do that if they get the chance, without rules. We’ll see what happens sometime in the middle of December.
Ms Blakeman: Well, I’m wondering, then, if the Premier is reversing his particular point of view on this because he was certainly stating it publicly on September 18 when he said that he would introduce a campaign reform bill this fall that will ban or limit third-party advertising. Are you reversing that?
Mr. Stelmach: It’s amazing. This issue came up as a result of some party members, not Conservative but opposition, getting really ticked off that an organization that they thought that they were very friendly with actually…
Mr. Mason: I heard you say it.
Mr. Stelmach: Well, I also heard you say a few things that I can’t repeat in the House, quite frankly.
You know, this third party was supposed to be very close to the other third party in the House, and the third party surprised that third party with a $2.2 million ad, and this party benefited.
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