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BBQ cooks up campaign controversy in north Edmonton

EDMONTON - A barbeque invite is at the center of a controversy that's brewing in north Edmonton, forcing Elections Alberta to step in and investigate.


It started after constituents in the Edmonton-Castledowns riding received this call from Wildrose candidate John Oplanich: "After you vote at the advance poll on Saturday, April 21, please join me for a Castledowns BBQ at Zucca's family restaurant, located next to my campaign office."

Drew Westwater, of Elections Alberta, says the legislation is very clear on candidates not offering constituents anything which may be perceived as buying votes.

The Election Act states "that you cannot entice someone who has voted or will be voting with food or beverages afterwards, and there's a $500 dollar fine after that if you are convicted for doing so," Westwater says.

Oplanich tells Global News that he doesn't believe he broke an Election Act rule but if he did, so did his PC counterpart, Thomas Lukaszuk, who also held a BBQ last Sunday.

Lukaszuk's camp says the circumstances surrounding the two events are completely different because their barbeque was a community event with no connection to voting. Lukaszuk's campaign manager, Jeff Kasbrick, argues that Oplanich, on the other hand, is tying the two events together.

"He's tying the advance poll process together and suggesting that after people - and he's very clear of saying after they went and voted - that they can go and get a hamburger over by his campaign office," says Kasbrick.

This is not the first time Elections Alberta has looked at a promotion held by Oplanich. In February, he offered a big-screen TV and $25,000 in University of Alberta scholarships if he was to win a seat. He was informed that was not legal under the Elections Act.

Wildrose leader Danielle Smith defended the Castledowns candidate then, and continues to defend him now.

"I'm aware of it but I don't believe that Elections Alberta said that he's done anything wrong. If he's done anything wrong and I'll deal with it at that wrong."

With files from Slav Kornik, Global News

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