‘If you have anyone you want to pose a question to, you should do that,’ Smith told reporters Monday
Early Monday, Postmedia sent emails to press secretaries of all 24 government ministries asking if their minister attended any of those playoff matchups and, if so, how many games and how those tickets were obtained.
The request did not result in any returned emails, as did follow-up queries Tuesday seeking a response.
Media requests are typically acknowledged within a few hours at most.
In a statement, the office of Premier Danielle Smith said rules for ministers and senior staff around accepting tickets for events like these are governed by the Conflicts of Interest Act for elected officials and public service regulations for staff.
“When ministers or senior staff have questions or need clarity on any specific issues, we have the ethics commissioner to provide individuals with advice and direction. These discussions are between the ethics commissioner and the individual.”
It did not address questions about why ministries had yet to reply or if an apparent gag order had been implemented on the tickets issue.
On Monday, Smith said she expected MLAs and staff to follow ethics rules and directed reporters to ask individual politicians or staffers about potential ethics issues.
“If you have anyone you want to pose a question to, you should do that.”
Ministers Schow, Ellis, and Neudorf attended games
Smith has said she attended three Oilers playoff games.
For one of those, she travelled to Vancouver to attend an Oilers second-round game against the Canucks at the invite of Invest Alberta, the Crown corporation tasked with attracting business to the province.
Her office has stated that her attendance was on personal time and none of her expenses or those of two accompanying staffers were paid for with government money.
The other two games she attended were in Edmonton: one in loge seats, courtesy of Explore Edmonton, and the other in a luxury box at the invite of the Oilers.
When asked in person, some ministers have stated they did attend playoff games.
At a media scrum on Monday, Tourism and Sport Minister Joseph Schow said he attended a playoff game as a guest but did not state who invited him or how many games he attended.
Affordability and Utilities Minister Nathan Neudorf told the Globe and Mail he attended one game as a guest of MHCare’s CEO Sam Mraiche, where he was joined by other ministers and government officials that he declined to name.
‘It was absolutely about hockey’
At a news conference on Tuesday, Smith said no government money had been spent and no rules had been broken.
“What private individuals choose to do with their private money is not governed by the ethics commissioner.”
She added she has sought a meeting with ethics commissioner Shawn McLeod.
“If there are any interpretations that he needs to give me so that there are any modifications to policy, I’m looking forward to getting his answers.”
Opposition New Democrats claimed that appointment created a perception of bias given McLeod filed papers to seek the UCP nomination in Edmonton-Riverview ahead of the 2019 election.
The UCP say McLeod withdrew from the process and was not its candidate on the ballot on election day.
Smith had previously said the tickets were a way for the government to show support during the Oilers march to the Stanley Cup Final, which they eventually lost in seven games to the Florida Panthers.
“I think people wanted to see us support our team,” she said. “It was absolutely about hockey.”
The changes included granting Smith’s chief of staff, Marshall Smith, discretion to approve gifts for staff above the $500 limit.