Challenge filed about biased content on Alberta government's referendum website

[Spazito]

(article is from April 27)

A pro-immigration group has submitted a complaint to Elections Alberta, claiming the province’s new referendum website wrongfully uses taxpayers’ money to campaign in favour of one side.

Avnish Nanda, the Edmonton lawyer who helped create the group, called Our Alberta Advantage, says the Alberta government website is written in a way to influence yes votes by either misrepresenting situations or leaving out certain information.

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As an example, Nanda pointed out that the Alberta Referendum 2026 website notes temporary residents cost Alberta taxpayers more than $1 billion per year in social services.

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“People who work here on work visas, student visas, they pay taxes. They contribute to our economy. They pay for the same services the government now wants to charge more for. So I think that's fundamentally missing from the website,” he said.

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In a referendum tied to a general election, the provincial government is held to advertising restrictions.

However, an amendment to Alberta’s Election Act approved one year ago changed the rules to remove restrictions on government advertising for a standalone referendum.

much more

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-referendum-website-complaint-immigration-9.7178022

This refers to the current referendum questions and does not include the separation question which is still under review by the court.

As noted in the article, Smith and her sycophantic government members deliberately changed the rules so they could deliberately mislead Albertans on their government website regarding the current 9 questions.

I am glad to see this challenge filed as the biases by this government are blatant.

[Fiendish Thingy]

1. If the court rules against the government my guess is Smith invokes the Notwithstanding Clause to ignore the ruling. Nt

[Spazito]

2. I have no doubt...

She might as well come out and state that she will use the notwithstanding clause on anything and everything she wants to regardless of how Albertans might feel.

She is the female version of trump, imo.

[Fiendish Thingy]

3. She doesn't even have a tenth of the illusory charisma that Trump has

But she’s using the same playlist of racist hot buttons and FREEDOM! cloaked grievance politics.

I hope she crashes and burns in a bonfire of humiliation.

[Spazito]

4. Actually, for Albertans, she does...

her poll numbers have stayed relatively high regardless of what she does. She has her own group of drooling dipshits who think she walks on water.

Sadly, unless something major happens she and her party will be re-elected in the next election on Oct 18, 2027.

[Fiendish Thingy]

5. Well, something is going to happen in the fall, isn't that when the referenda vote is scheduled?

I’m hoping the failure of those initiatives will create some divisions amongst the conservatives and someone will challenge her for the leadership, or create a new party that will siphon votes from their majority.

[Spazito]

6. It is true there may well be a split among the UCP supporters if...

the referendum fails as I think they are split on staying in Canada or separating. Smith has finally taken somewhat of a position but the wording is mealy-mouthed at best. Here's her latest statement:

“My position is we should remain in Canada. That’s the position of our government. We believe we should assert sovereignty within a united Canada. That is our policy.”

The white nationalist separation supporters aren't happy with her comment so it is possible they could split and join one of the current fringe separatist parties. That would certainly water down her support in the next election. One can hope this will be the outcome of the failure of the separation question if it even makes it successfully through the courts.