Data mining concerns raised after political organizers join Calgary mayor recall effort
Data mining concerns have been raised about the recall petition against Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek.
Last month, the City of Calgary said it received a notice of recall petition against the sitting mayor on Jan. 30 and has verified it complies with the recall criteria laid out in the Municipal Government Act. The recall petition was made public on Feb. 5.
The petition’s organizer, Landon Johnston, has until April 4 to collect 514,284 signatures from Calgarians who are eligible to vote, or 40 per cent of the electorate.
Johnston previously told Global News the petition was started after the single-use plastics bylaw was passed and then repealed shortly after. He also cited the affordability crisis and the arena deal as reasons he wanted to start the petition.
On Wednesday, Johnston said he counted around 32,000 signatures to date.
“We’ve been trying to prove that the legislation is flawed, and what good way than (trying to recall) the least favourable mayor in the history of Calgary? And if it’s impossible for us to get her recalled, then what is stopping a mayor from having a one per cent favorability rating?” Johnston told Global News on Wednesday.
However, some people are raising concerns about who is involved with the recall petition.
Documents obtained by Global News show a group named Project YYC is helping Johnston with petition efforts.
According to the document, the group wants to create a “big tent coalition” to elect “common-sense conservative” mayors and councillors in next year’s municipal election.
A corporate search reveals Project YYC has been a registered trade name since Feb. 16, by Roy Beyer. Beyer is named as one of the group’s directors and a core member of the recall campaign team according to the document obtained by Global News.
Johnston said he talked to a couple of people who are named in the documents but didn’t specify who. He said another “loophole” in Alberta’s legislation on recall petitions is around signatures gathered by volunteers.
“There is nothing stopping anyone from using this for their own gain. It’s my name on the petition so people have free reign,” he said.
Gondek said she believes the group is using the recall signatures to help establish a local political party.
According to the document, the group is in the process of being incorporated as a not-for-profit under the Alberta Incorporation Act.
“Is this, in fact, a recall petition that’s being launched by a single individual because they’re unhappy with my performance, although they don’t have indication of that? Or is this something that will have more nefarious results?” Gondek told reporters on Tuesday.
“From what I’ve seen, this seems to be a very organized effort … I believe that person (Johnston) may have been co-opted. There are too many ties to ignore the fact that this is being driven by people who want conservatives in municipally-elected positions and trying to remove me is the first step in that.”
Gondek also raised concerns about data mining and how the information is being used.
“(Calgarians) should be asking some questions, because if your personal data is now being shared with a group that’s trying to form a conservative party for a municipal election, and that’s not what you signed up for. I think your data may be compromised,” she said.
Duane Bratt, a political scientist for Mount Royal University, also raised concerns about how the information collected is being used.
“How many people who are signing the petition know that this isn’t about recalling Gondek or sending Gondek a message? Do they understand that there is an ulterior motive that these groups have and that is to build a database for the creation of a conservative party to run municipally?” Bratt told Global News on Wednesday.
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Bratt also raised concerns about political parties running in municipal elections.
Premier Danielle Smith said on March 15 that party politics may soon be coming to Alberta city halls. Currently, party affiliation is not allowed under the Local Authorities Election Act.
Bratt said the petition is a useful avenue for Project YYC to build up a database of volunteers, as well as identifying voters and fundraising for future causes.
“There are these groups who are organizing for a party structure who are now mobilizing around the recall Gondek (petition),” he said.
But Steve Chapman, who is involved with Project YYC, denies any allegations about data mining.
“The rules are very clear about what happens with this data, and we abide by it,” he told Global News Wednesday.
Chapman said the group started as a name to create a bank account to participate in the recall petition.
Currently, the Municipal Government Act does not include disclosure requirements for municipal recall petitions.
Over time, the group became one that wanted to advocate for more conservative councillors in council.
“We need people who are going to focus on crime, focus on safety, focus on removing snow … We have a lot of pressing issues in Calgary to make it viable and livable, and I think a lot of people on council have lost track of those priorities because of a grander illusion that they should run for provincial and federal offices,” he said.
Chapman said Project YYC isn’t leading the petition efforts, but rather assisting Johnston’s efforts. He confirmed to Global News the group reached out to Johnston on how to help.
Chapman added the list of people on the documents Global News obtained was more of a “wish list” and not a confirmed list.
“There are other initiatives that are focused on the same thing. Let’s try to encourage people who are a little more conservative,” he said. “We need to get (the priorities) back and we need people with that agenda, and I think Calgarians want that.”
Chapman also denied any allegations of being “co-opted” by politically-affiliated parties like Take Back Alberta.
“Nobody’s funding this … It’s something we’ve been doing,” he said.
Johnston also said he’s been trying to abide by all the rules, including how the signatures can be used.
“I’ve always told people that if there’s ever a whiff of any sort of nefarious action, that I’m going to do everything I can to stop it. That’s include calling the RCMP,” he said.
–with files from Adam Toy and Jasmine King, Global News.
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