Conservative Adscam in Alberta

The web designers for the Federal Conservative Party Edmonton organizer Bill McBeath is Somina communications, who also provides web services for the Alberta Government and the governments communications pals at Calder Bateman Communications as well as InfoTech which has several former Alberta PC cabinet ministers on the board.

Somina is doing the election webpages for Federal Conservative Candidates Mike Lake, for Rahim Jaffer, and for McBeaths Edmonton Team.

Somina was begun three years ago as a project by three business students at the U of A. As an IT company with Tory connections they apparently have benefited from the machinations and political intriques, that have gone on in the Conservative nominations for local Edmonton candidates organized by Edmonton area Tory organizer; Bill McBeath.and PC National Council member Vitor Marciano.

The Blog; What Have I Gotten Myself Into says that a deal was made with Ryan Hastman of Somina over who would provide the web page for Edmononton Beaumont Candidate Mike Lake's web page;

The present webmaster was fired by the board and has now been told to take down the entire present site as we speak. .and who replaced him … guess who? …our old friend Ryan Hastman! Watch for it kiddies … it will be days if not hours from going out of existence. See if I’m not correct.

However seems also that Hastman cut a deal with McBeath and company to take over the EDA site through Mike Lake and his control of the EDA board. The deal includes Hastman will get “future consideration” for creating web sites for other Conservative EDAs, all at “top dollar”.

The cost to Edmonton Mill Woods Beaumont is apparently a “cut rate” over what he usually charges with the understanding and promise that he will go to full price when Mike gets to be MP and there is much more money in the EDA purse.

The “cut rate” cost is incidentally far over the price they have been paying up to now.

The cozy relationship these guys have with the Provincial Conservatives and their Feral err Federal counterparts is an example of another adscam in the making.
Its business as usual for political parties to give contracts to their pals, Mulroney did it, so did the Liberals. The difference was that the Liberals under Chretien created a slush fund for Quebec communications companies and got kickbacks to the Quebec Liberal organization.

Now Somina's cozy Tory relationship may appear to some as a tempest in a teapot however it still smacks of being ethically challenged. But hey n Alberta thats just business as usual.