The AFL sent an interactive telephone broadcast message to hundreds of thousands of Albertans in the final week of the last election campaign in order to poll opinion on the Wildrose Party’s position on healthcare.

From the beginning, we wanted to comply with all CRTC regulations regarding recorded voice messages. However, in contravention of the rules, we failed to include a 1-800 number and our address. That was a mistake and we admit it.

We have taken responsibility for that mistake from day one. With that in mind, we have agreed to pay a $50,000 fine. We are also in the process of developing internal systems to ensure all CRTC rules are followed in the future.

We want to make it abundantly clear that we have no problem with the CRTC’s rules about recorded voice messages. The rules are fair and the CRTC has been even-handed in the enforcement of the rules.

As the CRTC made clear in their press release, from the very beginning everyone at the Alberta Federation of Labour has co-operated with them. We have worked with them to make sure that regulations are better understood, and that this will not happen again.

As president of the AFL, I know that the buck stops with me. I have learned lessons from this experience. Every effort will be made to ensure that all future broadcast messages from the AFL are in full compliance of the rules.