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“I will commit . . . that you will see from this government the most aggressive legislation against PACs that we can possibly bring in and ensure that it stands up in the courts between now and the next election,” said the premier.

The government has already said, however, that there will not be legislation introduced in the fall sitting of the legislature, which began this week and runs into December.

Since taking office in 2015, the NDP has banned union and corporate political donations to parties and put in new donation and spending limits. It already strengthened rules on third-party groups, requiring them to disclose donors and spending related to any political advertising, not just during an election period.

However, over the last year there has been a proliferation of PACs — which face no donation limits or restrictions on union, corporate and out-of-province contributions, and only limited disclosure rules. Critics say PACs affiliated to specific candidates or parties may be used to get around existing donation rules, an issue specifically raised by the chief electoral officer.

Swann — in a series of Halloween-themed questions — noted many of the PACs have been connected to conservative politics in Alberta but there are also concerns about third-party political activities by unions on behalf of the NDP.

“It’s the NDP’s zombie-like pace in regulating PACs that is very unsettling. Is the government dragging your feet because dark money flows in your veins?” said the Calgary-Mountain View MLA.

NDP MLA Brian Malkinson, meanwhile, has asked the legislature’s standing committee on legislative offices to examine the issue of PACs, noting their activities were also an issue in recent municipal elections in Alberta.

jwood@postmedia.com