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The government has also taken steps to limit legislature debate on the bill to a total of three hours.

Grilled by reporters about the optics of the move in an embargoed news conference Monday, Finance Minister Travis Toews insisted that firing Gibson and combining the offices is purely for administrative efficiencies. The maneuver should save $1 million in the next five years, Toews said.

“(It’s) really again consistent with our greater effort to streamline government, to remove redundancies, to save Alberta taxpayers hard-earned tax dollars and to ensure that we have the most efficient, defensible structure,” Toews said. “We are doing nothing here that will undermine any current investigations that are taking place.”

Toews said he can’t compel the chief electoral officer to continue any current, ongoing investigations because the office is independent.

Gibson’s contract was to expire in 2023.

Commissioner created to enforce new rules

His office has levied more than $211,000 in fines against people and organizations involved with the campaign for Jeff Callaway, who ran for leadership of the UCP in 2017.

Documents leaked earlier this year showed people working on the UCP leadership campaigns for Premier Jason Kenney and Callaway for months exchanged strategy ideas, memes, advertising plans and talking points. Kenney has said he knew nothing about the communications.

The commissioner has, to date, levied 31 administrative penalties against people and organizations connected to the Callaway campaign for allegedly funneling money to Callaway to run a “kamikaze” campaign against popular party leadership contender and former Wildrose Party leader Brian Jean. Critics claimed the scheme was to have Callaway question Jean’s record while Kenney stayed above the fray.