The Red Deer lawyer who sued former Alberta treasurer Stockwell Day gave conditional approval Thursday to disclosing the terms of an out of court settlement. The money for the settlement came out of the province's Risk Management Fund, which is paid for by taxpayers.

Lorne Goddard's defamation suit claimed $600,000 in damages. But it was settled out of court just before Christmas 2000.

Terms of the settlement stated it was confidential and neither side could release details. But public pressure forced the government to persuade Day, who is now the leader of the Canadian Alliance, to make the amount public if Goddard also agreed.

Goddard's lawyer, Virginia May, says her client will do that if the government discloses how much money was spent defending Day.

"It's our position that the legal fees that Mr. Day has incurred in attempting to defend this lawsuit right up until Christmas is information that the public of Alberta should know," says May. She also says the "information will show the costs paid for the settlement are certainly less than those legal fees."

May says they also want a breakdown of the legal costs and the settlement and information about all previous settlement offers disclosed. She says the matter could have been settled long ago.

"This lawsuit could have been settled so much more cheaply a year ago, so much more cheaply to the Alberta public."

Justice Minister Dave Hancock says the conditions leave the government in a tough position. He says he will have to run them by Day before he can reveal the figures.

"The request has been forwarded to Stockwell Day and we'll have to see what his response is," says Hancock.

If Day refuses, Hancock says the case will be turned over to Alberta's privacy commissioner. But he says there are some things event the privacy commissioner can't override.

"It's my perception that the condition that has been put forward is something that can only be satisfied by the parties and is not government information to release."

Goddard, who is also a school trustee, launched his suit in June 1999 after the former Alberta treasurer wrote a letter to the editor of the Red Deer Advocate. In it, Day questioned Goddard's personal beliefs because he was representing a convicted pedophile in a child pornography case.

Liz Snaddon reports for CBC Radio