Smith says policy to stop disclosing government expense receipts could be reversed

EDMONTON — Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says her government will consider reversing a recent policy change that ended the public disclosure of expense receipts over $100 for ministers and other government officials.

Smith, asked about the change Thursday at her Alberta Next panel town hall in Edmonton, told the crowd that it caught her off guard but was made for safety reasons.

“There are a number of my ministers who go to the same hotels when they’re frequenting different municipalities, and they just wanted the name of the hotel redacted, just in case people were tracking them down,” Smith said.

“That was what the policy was supposed to be. It turned out to be something quite different, so we’re going to see if we can maybe try to track down how that happened and do a reversal on that.”

Smith’s office said Friday a decision on next steps would be made at a cabinet meeting next week.

The change has sparked wide criticism.

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation said the move was baffling and a bad look for Smith’s government.

“This makes it look like the Alberta government has some expenses to hide from taxpayers, the people who are paying the bills,” the federation’s Alberta director, Kris Sims, said in a statement this week.

“Premier Danielle Smith needs to step in and reverse this and make sure there is always full accountability to taxpayers.”

The Opposition NDP called the change “shameful” and accused it of being a clear attempt by the United Conservative Party government to hide spending.

“It’s entitled, and it’s the exact opposite of being open and transparent,” NDP house leader Christina Gray said in a statement Friday.

“Our province deserves nothing less than an ethical, transparent and competent government. Right now, Albertans are getting the complete opposite.”

The province’s information and privacy commissioner, Diane McLeod, also has been critical of the move, telling the CBC that the change diminishes transparency.

Smith’s former infrastructure minister, Peter Guthrie, who was booted from the UCP caucus earlier this year, said on social media the government was “shielding their irresponsible use of Albertans’ tax dollars from scrutiny.”

Gray said if Smith is going to reverse the policy change, she should also republish the eight years of past expense reports the government recently took off its website, as first reported by the CBC.

Smith didn’t address the removal of records when asked about the policy change Thursday.

She said cabinet will meet Tuesday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 15, 2025.

Jack Farrell, The Canadian Press