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Alberta Tories under fire for accepting tobacco money

Last Updated: Wednesday, May 7, 2008 | 1:43 PM ET

CBC News

Alberta's governing Conservative party is being scolded by the Opposition Liberals for accepting political donations from a tobacco company.

Liberal health critic Dave Taylor raised the matter Tuesday in the Alberta legislature, asking why the Conservative party took more than $5,125 in political donations from the National Smokeless Tobacco Co. last year.

Liberal health critic Dave Taylor attacked the Alberta Tories Tuesday for accepting a $5,125 donation last year from a company that sells smokeless tobacco. (Alberta Legislature)

The company makes peach- and apple-flavoured chewing tobacco marketed mainly to young adults.

"Does the minister believe that smokeless tobacco products are lethal and should not be supported? " asked Taylor during question period.

"Governments have a duty to set a moral tone on things like this. No government that is promoting health and wellness should have anything to do with tobacco products or the companies that produce them, plain and simple," Taylor added outside the legislature.

But Health Minister Ron Liepert insisted the province has taken a tough stand on tobacco, including a provincewide ban on smoking in all public places that came into effect Jan. 1.

Alberta Health Minister Ron Liepert sees no conflict with his party accepting a donation from a company that makes tobacco products. (CBC)

"I don't think the two are related; my job as minister of health is to do certain things and the party is working within the guidelines, as I understand it, of the Elections Act."

The donation in question came as a result of the company purchasing tickets to a premier's dinner last year, Jim Campbell, executive director of the Conservative Party of Alberta, told CBC News late Tuesday.

No one has told him to return the money, and he doesn't intend to, he added.

Internal Links

Alberta smokers face new restrictions
Provincial smoking ban gets green light
Alberta fights chewing tobacco myth
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