Alberta’s NDP is raising eyebrows at a UCP campaign video ahead of the Calgary-Shaw byelection.

The video, shared by Calgary-Shaw candidate Mike Derry and Premier Danielle Smith on Sept. 1, included footage of the new Evanston Heights School, which had not yet been opened to the public at the time the video was posted.

The same footage was also used in a video shared by Infrastructure Minister Martin Long on Sept. 3.

In a letter sent to Elections Alberta Friday, NDP director Heather Wilson requested an investigation into whether the video footage constitutes a use of Government of Alberta resources toward the campaign, as prohibited by the Election Finances and Contributions Disclosure Act.

“The video footage is clearly government footage that only could be ascertained by the Government of Alberta,” Wilson said in the letter.

“Government resources are not a permitted source of contributions, and the production of advertising or promotional material constitutes a campaign expense and may also constitute a non-monetary contribution.”

In response to the NDP’s letter, UCP director of communications Dave Prisco called out the NDP’s use of a U.S. ad agency, as reported by CBC last fall.

“The United Conservative Party paid a third party in Alberta to make this video, unlike the NDP, who hired an American ad agency in New York City, the same one behind socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani, to make their campaign ads,” Prisco said in an emailed statement.

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Wilson requested that, if the contribution is found to be unlawful, provisions set out in the Act — which could include a paid penalty or a letter of reprimand — be enforced, and that the UCP issue a public apology on each platform that they posted the video.

As of Saturday afternoon, Alberta NDP confirmed it had not received a response to the letter from Elections Alberta, except confirmation that it had been submitted to the agency’s CEO.

Postmedia has reached out to Elections Alberta for comment but has yet to receive a response.

Separatism issue ‘could generate a bit more attention’ to byelection

Mount Royal University political science professor Lori Williams said that, though the NDP raises a valid concern, there may not be a clear answer before the vote.

“If the UCP candidate is accessing information and materials that only the government has access to, that’s an unfair advantage,” she said.

“Those are legitimate questions to raise. Whether or not they actually have an impact on the outcome under any circumstances is the question, particularly if the issue isn’t resolved before voting day.”

She added that the byelection has been largely overshadowed by the upcoming referendum, with door-knockers saying awareness is relatively low within the Calgary-Shaw riding.

The referendum, however, could also have a role to play in the byelection, with Derry having been endorsed by Darrell Komick, who ran for UCP board president last year as a pro-independence candidate.

“It’s probably a safe bet that the majority in the riding, as the majority in Alberta, support Alberta remaining within Canada, so if the issue of separatism becomes more central in the byelection, that could generate a bit more attention,” she said.

“Byelection turnout tends to be low . . . but if it is connected to an issue that is high profile, that could be a game changer.”

The Calgary-Shaw byelection takes place on Sept. 14, with advance polls open Sept. 8 to 12.

Derry is one of five candidates running, along with Kyle Campbell (NDP), Kyle Joseph (Progressive Tory Party), John Roggeveen (Alberta Liberal Party) and Rolly Ashdown (independent).

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