Notley “media availability” – Fighting for you? Or, reinforcing party rhetoric?

Given the expressed content of the media notice, it was clearly a campaign event and not a statement or announcement from the provincial government. It was emphasized by the fact that photos published to the Premier’s own Twitter account, show reference to “Rachel Notley fighting for you” and there were no government banners to indicate Notley was making a statement on behalf of the government – but, on behalf of the NDP.

The Premier expounded upon a claim that the official opposition, the United Conservative Party (UCP), were intending to cut health care spending. However, that was contrary to the context of Conservative Leader Jason Kenney’s previously issued statement, A Health-Care Guarantee for Albertans, which stated the intent of seeing public health spending maintained or increased under a United Conservative government.

Saturday’s event quickly exploded when UCP House Leader Jason Nixon called for Notley, the NDP and Alberta Health Services to be investigated for the partisan campaign event at CRH.

Nixon pointed out that AHS rules prohibit the use of its facilities for campaign events and partisan announcements.

“AHS facilities shall not be used for any political activity, including, but not limited to use for the purposes of canvassing, campaigning, making political announcements, touring and other activities.”

Nixon called the NDP’s use of a public hospital to launch a partisan attack an unethical abuse of public resources.

“Saturday’s NDP campaign event was not just a clear violation of AHS policy, but it also seems probable that the Premier and her staff broke Government of Alberta rules that prohibit them from using their influence to host a partisan event in a public hospital,” Nixon said. “I have written to Alberta’s Ethics Commissioner to ask for an immediate investigation into this event and I’m calling on Alberta Health Services and the Premier’s office to explain this clear violation of AHS policy for the benefit of the Notley NDP.”

After the event on Saturday, Nixon points out the Premier issued a tweet claiming that United Conservatives would fire nurses at the Lethbridge Hospital, which was never stated by Kenney or the UCP. Nixon indicated in a news release that “when caught in a lie, the tweet was deleted.” United Conservative Leader Jason Kenney has committed to a Public Health Guarantee that would see public health spending maintained or increased under a United Conservative government.

There are election laws which govern the media. In short, political parties can purchase advertising at will. However, news departments must provide equitable, or fair and impartial, coverage to all political parties, without providing undue advantage to one particular party. In order to accomplish this, it becomes necessary to ignore over-reaching announcements and pronouncements from a party which continually flaunts the rules. Unless, the event moves out-of-bounds, as it did on Saturday.

If the NDP intends to continue campaigning, it would be best for all concerned if the Premier would simply drop the writ and make it official.

by Dori Modney (@Dori_Modney on Twitter)

Notley “media availability” – Fighting for you? Or, reinforcing party rhetoric?

What's Happening