The premier is maintaining her position – following accusations that stemmed from opposition parties’ allegations that the premier lied in the legislature.
The Wildrose Party has charged the premier with contempt of parliament.
It’s alleged she mislead the house when she said she did not hold the position of Justice Minister when the decision was made to use Premier Alison Redford’s former husband’s law firm to represent Alberta in a $10 billion lawsuit against the tobacco industry.
“I’m disappointed by the level of discourse, I have to say, I’ve been very clear with respect to my involvement,” Redford said in Calgary Friday.
Redford has maintained she had stepped down as Justice Minister when the final decision was made, and Minister Verlyn Olsen signed off on it – at the time she was running for the leadership of the Progressive Conservative party.
The week also started with a “Wanted” poster with Redford’s picture on it – stating she had not been in the legislature for some time.
Redford said the poster made it to the playground where her daughter plays with her friends.
“One of the kids in the playground said ‘Your mommy is missing’, and Sarah said ‘No she is not, she is in Edmonton’,” Redford said. “This is getting silly, this isn’t what Albertans elected any member of this legislature to do, and there are lots of issues we need to talk about.”
While some believe Redford’s reputation has been tarnished by the events of the last week, one political scientist said the actions reflect on every MLA.
“I think what is happening is not very good for the health of Alberta democracy,” Political Scientist Chaldeans Mensah said. “Civil discourse in the legislature has taken a back seat.”
A decision on the contempt of parliament charge is expected early next week.
With files from Kevin Armstrong
