Alberta Premier Alison Redford denied Wednesday that she used her former job as justice minister to funnel a $10-billion lawsuit contract to a firm that employs her ex-husband.
Redford admitted she wrote a memo in 2010 recommending the contract go to a consortium of law firms that included ex-husband Robert Hawkes' firm.
But she told the house during question period that the memo simply reflected her thinking at the time and that the final decision to go with the consortium was made by Verlyn Olson, who succeeded her when she quit cabinet in 2011 to make her successful run for the Progressive Conservative party leadership.
Wildrose Leader Danielle Smith and NDP Leader Brian Mason said regardless of the outcome, Redford showed extremely poor judgment by weighing in at all on a contract that could benefit her ex-husband.
Hawkes has remained close to Redford professionally as an adviser and was the head of her transition team when she became premier in the fall of 2011.
"Did you not realize that it was inappropriate, at the very least, for you to be involved in a decision that would likely involve a substantial financial benefit to your ex-husband?" Mason asked Redford.
Redford, a lawyer herself, sat still in her chair on the front benches through the questioning by the Wildrose and Mason, her hands clasped in front of her. She answered some of the questions and deflected others to current Justice Minister Jonathan Denis.
But when Wildrose critic Rob Anderson suggested Redford's actions violated her duties to the legal profession and could be a matter for the law society to deal with, her demeanour changed.
Redford bounded to her feet. "This is getting absolutely absurd," she replied.
