Danielle Smith Defends UCP Staff Presence on Call With Alberta Separatist Group

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is defending the presence of a senior United Conservative Party staff member on a video call linked to the separatist group known as the Centurion Project, as controversy continues to grow over allegations involving leaked provincial voter data.

The issue dominated debate inside the Alberta legislature on Wednesday after the Opposition New Democrats presented screenshots from an April 16 online meeting hosted by the Centurion Project. The images reportedly showed Arundeep Sandhu, the UCP caucus office’s director of stakeholder relations, participating in the meeting.

The controversy centres around allegations that the Centurion Project had access to Alberta election data believed to have originated from a voter list previously provided to the Republican Party of Alberta. Elections Alberta is currently examining the matter, while the RCMP has also launched an investigation into the data leak.

During question period, Opposition Leader Naheed Nenshi pressed the premier on why Sandhu attended the meeting, whether he informed government officials afterward, and why the UCP failed to report the incident once concerns emerged.

Smith defended her staff member, arguing that Sandhu’s responsibilities include opposition research and monitoring political groups and events. She also pointed to reports suggesting an NDP staff member had attended the same online meeting.

The premier accused the Opposition of delaying disclosure of the incident and questioned why the NDP did not immediately raise concerns publicly or notify the government.

Nenshi rejected the criticism, stating it is not the role of the Opposition to inform the government about activities involving senior government staff. He argued that Sandhu, an experienced political operative, should have recognized the seriousness of the material allegedly shown during the call.

Part of the controversy involves allegations that the video meeting demonstrated the Centurion app by displaying personal information connected to former Alberta premier Jason Kenney. Kenney has since stated publicly that he is seeking legal counsel regarding the matter.

Smith maintained that the staff member had no clear indication during the meeting that the information being shown originated from Alberta election data or had been obtained illegally.

Following question period, Government House Leader Joseph Schow escalated the dispute by raising a formal point of privilege against Nenshi. Schow argued that the Opposition’s decision not to immediately disclose the existence of the video call interfered with the rights of elected members of the legislature.

Nenshi is expected to respond to the motion in the legislature. He stated earlier that the Alberta NDP had already reported the matter to the RCMP and questioned why the UCP itself had not contacted law enforcement sooner.

The controversy has also drawn the attention of Alberta’s information and privacy watchdog. Information and Privacy Commissioner Diane McLeod confirmed Wednesday that her office is reviewing the situation to determine what jurisdiction it may have regarding the Centurion Project and its app.

McLeod described the issue as serious and acknowledged that her office has received numerous inquiries from concerned Albertans. She indicated further details about the investigation and possible next steps would be released later this week.

The growing political dispute has intensified scrutiny around privacy protections, election data security, and the relationship between political organizations and separatist movements in Alberta.

With investigations now underway by both the RCMP and privacy officials, pressure continues to mount on the provincial government to provide more clarity about what was discussed during the Centurion Project call and whether any laws or privacy regulations were violated.

Courtesy: edmontonjournal