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Calgary Herald

Take Back Alberta facing collection notice as it appeals $112K in Elections Alberta fines

Article content Court scheduling is underway to hear an appeal from activist group Take Back Alberta (TBA) as it seeks to overturn $112,500 in fines for election advertising violations that have since been referred to Crown debt collection. Article content The fines were imposed last February on TBA and its founder David Parker by Elections Alberta for what it describes as 'numerous substantive breaches' of the Election Finances and Contributions Disclosure Act, including TBA's absence of financial reporting, circumventing advertising spending limits, and accepting money from outside the province. Article content Article content Article content Those violations were linked to TBA's online and in-person events ahead of the May 2023 provincial election. Article content Article content On March 6, TBA filed documents in Court of King's Bench in Calgary seeking to appeal the fines, arguing that its events did not constitute political advertising — contrary to the findings of election commissioner Paula Hale — and that its Charter right to political expression had been infringed. Article content According to the appeal notice, TBA's lawyers are seeking 'a declaration that the decision, or part thereof, was incorrect, unreasonable, a palpable and overriding error, and/or constitutionally invalid,' as well as a declaration that the fines were 'excessively punitive, disproportionate, incorrect, (and) unreasonable.' Article content Article content In a statement, Elections Alberta noted legislation prevents it from commenting on specific investigations, but confirmed both the fines and its direction to TBA to refile certain financial reports remain in force. Article content It added those unpaid fines have been referred to Crown debt collection, and the group's failure to refile the reports has been referred to the Crown Prosecution Service. Article content Parker formed TBA in 2022 and later claimed credit for helping oust former premier Jason Kenney as United Conservative Party (UCP) leader in May of that year. He and the group have had varying degrees of influence on the party's policies in the years since.