eric

No one watches supplementary budget committee meetings, but with no due respect whatsoever, that was an extremely unfair and uncalled for statement by MLA Cyr denigrating the auditor general. #ableg #abpoli

the cracked paper health card is sending me lmao

ALBERTA: Bill 11 raises healthcare costs for everyone ⚠️.

Families pay more out of pocket. Public wait times grow. Doctors move to private clinics. The public system gets weaker.

Watch our 3 minute video below on what Bill 11 means for you and why we need to push back.

Learn more: notwotier.ca

But we know the rot goes to the roots.

An investigation by the Info & Privacy Commissioner found the UCP had created system-wide policies designed to deny public record requests.

And it seems they’re still at it.

A gov’t so drunk on power they don’t think they have to answer to anyone. #abpoli

In the House today, Minister Ellis claimed this was just “human error,” blaming of one of his senior staff.

Human error. Twice. Weeks apart.

The fact is the UCP have a record of intentionally bending & breaking access to info laws.

It’s a pattern.

They can’t be trusted. #abpoli

Hi Bluesky 👋

Small life update: I’m at the centre of a multimillion dollar lawsuit in Alberta launched by a failed candidate for Jason Kenney’s UCP

It may be the longest and most expensive media trial in Canadian history

I’m ready to go public about it and I want to share more details with you 🧵

NDP MLA David Shepherd held very little back as the UCP effectively fired the Auditor General in committee today…

Including highlighting that for a government under suspicion of covering up massive scandals, this only makes things look worse.

#abpoli #ableg #cdnpoli

Sometimes questions are more revealing than answers.

The interview yesterday by Vassy Kapelos with Demetrios Nicolaides is one of those times.

Please enjoy these highlights.

Where's the premier while MLAs rush through an all-night debate on stripping Albertans of their Charter rights?

An airport lounge, waiting for a flight to Saudi Arabia. She didn't even bother to show up for the vote.

I remember when conservatives turfed premiers for this level of hubris.

Striking Alberta teachers forced back to work by fast-tracked legislation, notwithstanding clause | CBC News Bill 2 passed early Tuesday morning after a long night for lawmakers in the provincial legislature. Premier Danielle Smith’s government introduced the legislation the day before.

At 2 a.m., the Alberta legislature passed a bill that will force 51,000 teachers back to work, impose a four-year contract and use the notwithstanding clause to stave off a legal challenge and suspend teacher bargaining at the local level. It includes fines for Ts and the ATA if they defy it. #AbLeg

Populism, freedom, and democracy in Alberta (and beyond) Lessons from my grade fiver's homework assignment

Tonight's moves by the UCP are part of a trend: shifting Alberta away from liberal democracy toward illiberalism.

"Populists like Smith often invoke freedom, but their concept of it is tied to loyalty to the dominant group rather than universal liberties.+

open.substack.com/pub/drjaredw...

There are just three election workers with computers processing the crowd and handing out ballots. That better improve later or I can only imagine what the lines are going to be tonight. People will turn around and go watch the Blue Jays. #yeg #yegvote #yegelxn

Calgary police "image recognition" software identifies individuals in photos & videos posted online Documents show that two years after being caught using Clearview AI facial recognition software, Calgary police signed contracts for AI software that scours photos and videos for individuals. Have pol...

SCOOP 🧵

Two years after being caught using Clearview AI facial recognition software, Calgary police signed contracts for "image recognition" software that scours photos and videos for individuals. 1/
drugdatadecoded.ca/calgary-poli...

Globe and Mail reporter targeted by online campaign, photographed surreptitiously in public settings An anonymous X account posted photos of Alberta reporter Carrie Tait and described her movements as she reported on a health authority controversy

Hi, yes, g'morning. This is awkward.

But targeting a reporter - hi! - with
surreptitiously obtained photos and details of her tooling around town is an attack on the public's right to know.

www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/artic...

New Post: The Information Commissioner’s Report on the Government of Alberta’s War on the Public’s Right to Access Information

ablawg.ca/?p=14544&p...

Breakenridge: Government secrecy taking hold in Alberta Province refused to release embarrassing pension survey results; has since doubled down on withholding data and documents with new rules.

Breakenridge: Government secrecy taking hold in Alberta

🧵 This is a big story and I’m not seeing it get around so take a sec with me here.

Clearview AI is a big deal if cops can use it. Basically lets them figure out who anyone anywhere is based on social media and internet facial recognition scraping. Protests, you name it. 1/

More excellent reporting from Jack re: Alberta’s privacy legislation

Alberta's personal information protection law ruled partly unconstitutional EDMONTON - Parts of Alberta's personal information protection legislation have been ruled unconstitutional.

News from me today: Alberta's personal information protection law ruled partly unconstitutional

Even so, Alberta judge upholding an order from privacy commissioners to stop US company from scraping pics for facial recognition database

www.thecanadianpressnews.ca/politics/alb...

Alberta government violated freedom of information laws, information watchdog finds Investigation by the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner concludes province is ‘non-compliant’ with access to information law

Alberta is violating its own freedom of information laws by using illegitimate reasons to withhold records, watchdog finds
www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/artic... By @tomcardoso.bsky.social and @robyndoolittle.bsky.social

Excellent reporting from Jack here

Investigation finds Alberta government not complying with freedom of information laws EDMONTON - Alberta's access to information watchdog has found the provincial government to be non-compliant with its own freedom of information rules.

From me today: Investigation finds Alberta government not complying with freedom of information laws

www.thecanadianpressnews.ca/prairies_bc/...

2. Was it improper for the Premier to discuss Mr. Pawlowski’s criminal case with him? Members of the Legislative Assembly (particularly, members of Executive Council) and Deputy Ministers and other public servants, with the exception of members of the Crown Prosecution Service, should not speak with any accused person (or his or her representative) about any ongoing criminal matter before the Courts. The legal system is an independent arm of government and neither the Legislative branch of Government nor the Executive branch of Government should interfere or appear to interfere with the Judicial branch of Government. To do so is to endanger the independence of the judicial system. This principle is a fundamental pillar of our democracy. The Premier breached this principle by discussing the accused’s case with him. If a Member of the Legislative Assembly or Public Service inadvertently finds themselves in such a situation, the Member or public servant must terminate the discussion forthwith.

Message from the Commissioner Access to information rights are the foundation of an individual’s ability to exercise their democratic rights by facilitating access to government information. These rights were crystalized for Albertans in 1995 when the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIP Act or Act) was proclaimed in force. This Act requires all public bodies in the province, including government public bodies, to make information available to the public subject to the limited and specific exceptions to this right as set out in the Act. The Supreme Court of Canada has recognized that “[t]he overarching purpose of access to information legislation is to facilitate democracy by helping to ensure that citizens have the information required to participate meaningfully in the democratic process and that politicians and bureaucrats remain accountable to the citizenry”.1 Accountability is the cornerstone of the exercise of good governance. Acting accountably within the context of the FOIP Act requires that government administer its responsibilities under the FOIP Act in a manner that not only respects these rights but also adheres to the sprit and intent of the Act and its purposes, which include “to allow any person a right of access to the records in the custody or under the control of a public body subject to limited and specific exceptions as set out in this Act”.2 My investigation into allegations of non-compliance with the FOIP Act as it relates to the processing of and responding to access requests has demonstrated that the Government of Alberta, which is comprised of 27 public bodies, has adopted practices and interpretations that do not align with the purposes of the Act and, as I have found, are non-compliant.

So... that's two independent officers of our legislature who have been compelled to remind the Smith government of some basic -- but also bedrock -- constitutional principles and democratic norms. Bad news bears, #ableg.

www.ethicscommissioner.ab.ca/media/3124/a...

oipc.ab.ca/information-...

The opening page of a report by the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta, released on May 9, 2025. It concluded the Alberta government of Danielle Smith breached the provincial freedom of information law.

The Alberta government of Premier Danielle Smith breached the provincial Freedom of Information Act, says a provincial watchdog in response to 34 complaints filed by me. The finding was also in response to some articles published by a national newspaper — the Globe — following my own complaints.

Alberta government failed to follow access to information rules A report from Information and Privacy Commissioner Diane McLeod found the province had improperly refused to process a number of requests.

Alberta government failed to follow access to information rules: "Accountability is the cornerstone of the exercise of good governance," Alberta Information and Privacy Commissioner Diane McLeod noted in her report released earlier today
edmontonjournal.com/news/politic...
#ableg

The report shows this was a government-wide, systemic refusal to process FOIP requests. It's a damning indictment of the UCP's extreme culture of secrecy. And the UCP is further reducing FOIP access, which is yet another red flag re: growing authoritarianism.

oipc.ab.ca/information-...

Oh wow, Alberta Information and Privacy Commissioner has issued a report finding the Alberta government is broadly not complying with freedom of information laws

This is a significant finding from Alberta’s privacy and information commissioner and confirms what many FOIP users have long suspected.

@markcherrington.bsky.social