Monday, February 28, 2022

Editorial: Madu should be ejected
Edmonton Journal Editorial Board


Kaycee Madu did not interfere with the administration of justice when he phoned Edmonton’s police chief over a traffic ticket, says an investigation released Friday.
© Greg Southam/Postmedia Premier Jason Kenney with then Justice Minister Kaycee Madu.

But it wasn’t for lack of trying. “Did Minister Madu attempt to interfere with the administration of justice? He did,” wrote retired Justice Adele Kent.

That one sentence should spell the end of Madu’s time in cabinet.


Yet, despite the report’s conclusions, Madu remains in cabinet; Kenney shuffled him late Friday to labour and immigration after having “stepped back” from the justice ministry when the story came to light in January. It’s an inadequate response for such a serious abuse of office.

While the report acknowledges Madu’s concerns about racial profiling by police deserve serious recognition, as does his concerns over actions of some police, such as the Lethbridge Police Service, “it does not absolve the minister from responsibility.” In fairness, Madu has also been on the forefront on the issue of racial profiling by police and he has pushed to end “carding” in Alberta.

However, Madu’s attempt to circumvent the rule of law is as grievous a matter as if he succeeded. One only has to thumb through the Criminal Code to see that attempted offences are serious matters in their own right.

To his credit, Edmonton police Chief Dale McFee did not consider ripping up a $300 distracted driving ticket Madu received on March 10, 2021. That does not excuse Madu from calling to discuss the ticket in the first place.

For Alberta’s chief law officer of the Crown tasked with upholding the administration of justice to be found attempting to subvert it is not only a serious breach of protocol and ethics. It also undermines public confidence in the legal system’s integrity.

Kenney, when asked Saturday if it’s acceptable for a cabinet minister to interfere in this way, denied the report concluded that interference occurred. That’s a grossly selective interpretation of the facts. Kenney is downplaying the whole affair as just a matter of bad optics — ignoring the finding that Madu tried but failed to obstruct the legal process, including playing the do-you-know-who-I-am card to the ticketing officer and phoning the chief. What’s important is that Madu tried to interfere with the justice process. Full stop.

While Kenney has a political need to keep a prolific Edmonton MLA such as Madu in his inner circle, Kenney too has a responsibility to keep public faith in the integrity of Alberta’s justice system and in his government.

A simple cabinet shuffle down the front bench to labour and immigration, no matter the politics involved, will not suffice; Madu should be ejected from cabinet.

Local editorials are the consensus opinion of the Journal’s editorial board, comprising Colin McGarrigle, Dave Breakenridge and Bill Mah.

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