Alberta NDP asks Elections Alberta to investigate UCP campaign video using government footage
The NDP alleges the Calgary-Shaw byelection candidate's promotional video contained material only government could access, potentially violating campaign finance rules.
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The Alberta NDP has asked Elections Alberta to investigate whether UCP Calgary-Shaw candidate Mike Derry's campaign video used government-only materials, potentially breaking campaign finance rules.
NDP director Heather Wilson sent the complaint Friday after Mike Derry and Premier Danielle Smith shared a video on September 1 showing footage from Evanston Heights School. Infrastructure Minister Martin Long shared the same video on September 3. According to Wilsons letter to Elections Alberta, the school footage had not yet been opened to the public at the time the first video was posted.
"The video footage is clearly government footage that only could be ascertained by the Government of Alberta," Wilson wrote. Under the Election Finances and Contributions Disclosure Act, government resources are not permitted sources of campaign contributions, and producing advertising material constitutes a campaign expense.
UCP director of communications Dave Prisco responded by pointing to the NDP's hiring of a New York City ad agency last fall. "The United Conservative Party paid a third party in Alberta to make this video, unlike the NDP, who hired an American ad agency in New York City, the same one behind socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani, to make their campaign ads," Prisco said.
Mount Royal University political science professor Lori Williams said the NDP's concern about unfair access is valid. "If the UCP candidate is accessing information and materials that only the government has access to, that's an unfair advantage," Williams said. She added that whether the issue will affect the outcome depends partly on whether it's resolved before voting day.
As of Saturday afternoon, the NDP had not received a response from Elections Alberta beyond confirmation that the letter had been submitted to the CEO. Postmedia also reached out to Elections Alberta for comment but had not yet received a response. The Calgary-Shaw byelection is set for September 14.
What will Elections Alberta's investigation findings be, and could they affect the September 14 byelection?
Does Elections Alberta have evidence of government resource use beyond what the NDP alleges?
We'll update this story as answers emerge.
The facts
What is the NDP alleging about the UCP Calgary-Shaw candidate's video?
The Alberta NDP alleges that UCP Calgary-Shaw candidate Mike Derry's campaign video contained footage from Evanston Heights School that only the government could access, potentially violating campaign finance rules under the Election Finances and Contributions Disclosure Act.
When is the Calgary-Shaw byelection?
The Calgary-Shaw byelection is set for September 14, 2026.
Who shared the video containing the school footage?
Mike Derry and Premier Danielle Smith shared the video on September 1, 2026, and Infrastructure Minister Martin Long shared it on September 3, 2026.
