Speaking at Mount Royal University, the premier rejected opposition accusations that as justice minister in 2010, she personally chose the International Tobacco Recovery Lawyers consortium to represent Alberta in a $10-billion lawsuit against tobacco manufacturers.
However, government documents released by the Wildrose party this week — obtained under freedom of information laws — suggest she initially selected the consortium that included a local firm in which her ex-husband, Robert Hawkes, is a partner, triggering conflict-of-interest accusations in the legislature.
“This is a person I was married to 21 years ago. I must tell you that when I see this person, I don’t think to myself and associate, ‘Oh, this is my ex-husband,’ ” Redford told reporters.
“So I think this is politics and I’ll take it as that.”
The political fight stems from the government’s decision to sue tobacco companies over health-related costs tied to smoking and retain an outside firm to handle the litigation.
Part of the International Tobacco Recovery Lawyers consortium is Calgary firm JSS Barristers, whose partners include Hawkes, who was also the head of her transition team when she became premier in 2011.
Hawkes is not the lawyer on the case and under the province’s Conflict of Interest Act, as an ex-spouse, he is not considered a person directly associated with Redford, but the Wildrose say he’s still a close political confidante of the premier.
In an interview last summer, Hawkes said he does not have a close relationship with the premier, although they’ve remained friends.
“We’re just not as close as people think we are,” Hawkes told Herald reporter Jason Markusoff in August, during an interview for an upcoming article in Alberta Views magazine.
“We’re friends, and I have tremendous respect for her. But up until she ran for the leadership, we just didn’t have a huge amount of interaction.”
JSS Barristers put out a statement Friday noting Hawkes and Redford were divorced in 1991 and have had limited contact over the years.
“When the bid was submitted, Robert and Alison didn’t have much to do with each other,” said JSS lawyer Glenn Solomon. “It wasn’t until she left cabinet to run for the leadership that Robert started to become involved in her leadership bid.”
Opposition Leader Danielle Smith said Friday the Wildrose will file a complaint with the ethics commissioner to investigate the matter. The Liberal party have also requested a review, while the NDP has asked Redford to step aside until an ethics investigation is carried out.
“The fact that this person — regardless of whether or not she was once married to him — is such a close political confidante is all the more reason there should be an investigation,” Smith said.
The controversy began this week after the Wildrose and CBC released documents into the law firm selection process.
A Dec. 14, 2010, government memo, signed by Redford, says: “The best choice for Alberta will be the International Tobacco Recovery Lawyers.”
A Jan. 13, 2011, briefing note to the Justice Department deputy minister also states: “Shortly before Christmas, Minister Redford selected the International Tobacco Recovery Lawyers.”
However, the government said the contract was only negotiated and signed months after Redford had resigned as justice minister to run in the PC party leadership race last year.
Verlyn Olson, who succeeded Redford as justice minister, told reporters this week he made the ultimate decision in June 21, 2011, to sign a deal with the consortium.
The premier said she’s glad the issue will go to the province’s ethics commissioner for an examination, but added the personal level of attacks at the legislature are starting to take a toll on her and her family.
Redford said her 10-year-old daughter asked her Thursday about the tongue-in-cheek “Wanted” poster that has been circulated by the Wildrose in cyberspace, calling the PC leader out for not attending the legislature recently.
“She said one of the kids in the playground said: ‘Your mommy’s missing. And Sarah said, no, she’s not. She’s in Edmonton,’ ” Redford said. “I mean, this is getting silly.”
For her part, Smith dismissed the notion Alberta politics is getting personal.
“When you’re the premier, you have to be prepared to defend your decisions,” said the Wildrose leader. “She just doesn’t like the accountability that goes along with the job.”
Original Article
Source: calgary herald
Author: Kelly Cryderman
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