CBC News Posted: Jul 29, 2014 11:29 AM MT Last Updated: Jul 29, 2014 4:32 PM MT
Alberta opposition politicians are calling on the RCMP to investigate former premier Alison Redford over findings by the auditor general about her use of government aircraft.
An internal report to the government from Merwan Saher, obtained exclusively by CBC News, found that "false passengers"?were booked on the planes, making it possible for Redford to fly alone with her entourage.
The passengers’ names were removed just before printing the flight manifest, the report said.
Wildrose finance critic Rob Anderson has called on Premier Dave Hancock – who took over when Redford resigned in March amid controversy over her spending and expenses – to request an RCMP investigation into the matter.
“Frankly these allegations and details are shocking,” he said at a news conference held Tuesday afternoon.
Wildrose finance critic Rob Anderson has called on premier Dave Hancock and the three politicians currently running for PC Party leadership to initiate an RCMP investigation into the allegations. (CBC)“Taken together, these allegations appear to warrant a criminal investigation into what is termed under the Criminal Code as a breach of trust.” Anderson said his party would like to see the investigation extend to include the current premier as well as Finance Minister Doug Horner, saying that is would be nearly “unthinkable” that the flight manifests were altered without others knowing.
“The fact is, there is simply no way that these actions could have been taken without other senior government staff and cabinet ministers knowing full well about it,” he said. “Who else knew what was going on here?”
Anderson said the matter seemed to suggest a deeper pattern of dishonesty, which could only be addressed through a formal investigation and with the support of the current premier and three candidates in the running for party leadership.
"Premier Dave Hancock has a duty and a moral obligation to fulfil that expectation. That’s why he should step up immediately, he should demonstrate leadership and he should call on the RCMP, as we are doing, to investigate the situation.”
When asked if Redford should resign, Anderson seemed mystified. “I guess it’s difficult for me to understand how somebody can go ahead and go ahead and pretend that they have the backing of their constituents when I think it’s pretty clear that she doesn’t.”
Alberta does not have recall legislation, he added.
Speaking Tuesday, Liberal Leader Raj Sherman also called for an investigation into Redford's plane usage.
"This is a waste of taxpayer money and a deliberate attempt to mislead," Sherman said. "We need an RCMP investigation into this issue."
Liberal Leader Raj Sherman wants the RCMP to investigate Redford's flights. (CBC)Sherman said that Finance Minister Doug Horner, whose department oversees the government's plane fleet, also needs to be held accountable. Saher believes that Redford derived a "personal benefit" by taking her teenage daughter on dozens of government flights. The girl is the only child of Redford and her husband, Glen Jermyn.
Sherman believes that Redford, who remains the member of the legislature for Calgary Elbow, should pay back the cost of those flights.
All three candidates running to replace Redford as Progressive Conservative Party leader have also weighed in.
Ric McIver, who was a minister in Redford's cabinet before stepping down to run for the leadership, said he was angry and that?Albertans should be outraged. ?
McIver told reporters that?the matter should be "further investigated by the proper authorities," but stopped short of suggesting?police should be involved.?
"That's not for me to decide, but I can say that the proper authorities should find out who is responsible and the person or persons responsible need to be held accountable," he said.?
McIver said that he was unaware about "false passengers" being booked and then dropped from flights on government planes.?
Thomas Lukaszuk, who served as Redford’s deputy premier, said that if he was elected party leader and became premier,?he would ask caucus to consider Redford's?removal from the PC caucus.
He would also ask a "third-party legal expert" to review all of Redford's expenditures.?
“And tell me, and tell Albertans, publicly, whether he or she believes that any laws were broken,” he said, adding that if there?were, he would ask the justice system to step in.
In a statement released Tuesday afternoon, former federal Conservative cabinet minister and current leadership candidate Jim Prentice called the travel expenses “unacceptable.”
“There is no room in government for the blatant abuse of taxpayer dollars, and if public officials fail to observe this, the RCMP should be called to investigate and these abuses must be met with the full force of the law,” he wrote.
Redford has not made herself available for interviews about the auditor general's report. ?
.@DuaneBratt I will ask Caucus to consider removal from caucus. Will have independent review of all expenses to see if law was broken #pcldr
— Thomas Lukaszuk (@LukaszukMLA) July 29, 2014
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