The United Conservative Party caucus has acknowledged that its staff participated in an online meeting organized by the Centurion Project, an Alberta separatist group. The caucus stated that the staff believed the information shared during the meeting was obtained legally. Shortly after the meeting, a court ordered the Centurion Project to cease its digital database containing private voter details.
The Alberta NDP revealed three screenshots from the April 16 online meeting, indicating the presence of individuals with names matching those of the UCP president and a caucus staff member. While the UCP confirmed the staff’s attendance, they clarified that the party president was not present as he was at a fundraising event at the time.
According to the NDP, participants in the meeting were shown a digital tool containing personal information of Alberta voters. The NDP highlighted a video where David Parker, the Centurion Project organizer, appeared to be searching for Jason Kenney’s name in a tool labeled “search electors,” with Kenney’s information obscured in the shared image.
The Centurion Project, registered as a third-party advertiser, stated that it relied on a third party for dataset access to assist volunteers in civic engagement. The group emphasized that its tool is only for volunteers to locate individuals they know personally within the database.
Following the emergence of details from the meeting, Elections Alberta obtained a court injunction against the Centurion Project, alleging misuse of the province’s list of electors. The list, containing information of nearly three million adults in Alberta, including names, addresses, and phone numbers, was reportedly accessed improperly.
Amid investigations by Elections Alberta and the RCMP, concerns have been raised about potential privacy breaches and misuse of personal information. Alberta Premier Jason Kenney expressed concerns over the alleged exposure of his personal details, citing previous threats from various groups in Alberta.
The UCP caucus defended its staff’s attendance at political events, mentioning regular participation in activities of political significance. The caucus emphasized that at the time of the meeting, the staff had no reason to suspect any wrongdoing regarding the data being utilized.
In response to the situation, NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi called for accountability and urged prompt action by the relevant authorities. The ongoing investigations aim to determine the extent of the privacy breach and address any potential misconduct.