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Appallingly, political parties in Alberta, and every other province except British Columbia, needn’t even bother stooping to that level to snoop on or try to sway voters.

Those who give personal details to a party or constituency association, add their name to a mailing list, or sign a party-launched petition could have their information shared with other parties, political campaigns or interest groups. As added insult, individuals have no power to learn what political parties know about them or what they’re doing with it.

In one example, the recent United Conservative Party merger and leadership campaigns saw Albertans wondering why they were receiving calls from candidates or parties.

It’s all perfectly legal thanks to Alberta’s Personal Information Protection Act, which expressly, and shockingly, excludes political parties from the law. The act also offers no recourse for voters to complain to an independent body about a political party’s privacy practices.

“These practices have the potential to significantly impact the privacy of citizens and undermine their trust in the democratic system,” said Canada’s information watchdogs at their annual fall meeting last week in Regina.

The country’s privacy commissioners and ombudspersons view the loophole to be so grievous that they passed a joint resolution calling on governments to pass laws requiring political parties to comply with privacy principles, provide independent oversight and allow Canadians to access their personal information.

British Columbia’s privacy act already has such safeguards — with no apparent ill effects on the fortunes of its political parties.

It’s a mystery why similar legislation doesn’t exist across Canada except for the obvious explanation that it’s the foxes guarding the henhouse.

Local editorials are the consensus opinion of the Journal’s editorial board, comprising Mark Iype, Dave Breakenridge, Sarah O’Donnell and Bill Mah.