EDMONTON: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) today announced it is requesting a waiver of fees that have been quoted by various Alberta government ministries in response to the CTF's Freedom of Information request about communications consultants.

In October, the CTF asked the premier's office and each of the other 23 ministries whether they had retained communications consultants for strategic, policy or communications advice in the past four fiscal years. Borrowing from the language used by Alberta Health and Wellness to describe its contracts with Kelley Charlebois, the CTF asked for information about consultants hired to provide "analysis and recommendations regarding strategic direction, advice on key and emerging issues, advice on media relations, advice on developing and implementing government policy." The same request was asked of other government bodies, like the Workers Compensation Board.

In response to its Freedom of Information requests, the CTF has now been informed that it cannot get this info without first paying "search fees" as follows:

Health and Wellness $4,089
Environment $1,243
Sustainable Resource Development $1,149
Human Resources and Employment $1,028
Children's Services $ 851
Executive Council (Premier) $ 797
Finance (including Revenue) $ 774
Infrastructure $ 638
Transportation $ 507
Economic Development $ 271

Search fees quoted by 11 ministries: $11,347

The Alberta government employs 25,788 people, and is receiving $28.6 billion in revenues this fiscal year.

"By the time we have heard back from the remaining 13 ministries and other government bodies, the search fees will total about thirty thousand dollars. As a not-for-profit citizens' group which relies on voluntary donations from supporters, there is no way that the taxpayers federation can afford to pay thirty thousand dollars for this information," stated CTF-Alberta director John Carpay.

"These fees are an obstacle to the public learning how their tax dollars are spent, and how many other consultants like Kelley Charlebois are getting taxpayers' money," concluded Carpay.