Retired lawyer Clint Docken filed a statement of claim in the Court of King's Bench in Edmonton naming Alberta's justice and solicitor general, chief electoral officer, Centurion Project Ltd., the Republican Party of Alberta, David Parker and unidentified defendants in a proposed class action lawsuit over the alleged misuse of electoral data by the Centurion Project last spring.

The alleged sharing of the electoral lists is a serious issue and the debacle caused by the actions of David Parker and his Centurion Project cast a pall over the independence movement last spring. The proposed lawsuit has brought the issue back into the news scroll, but does it have any legs?

Alberta’s Class Proceedings Act sets a high bar for certification of class actions and Mr. Docken’s claim at this point appears pretty weak.

To begin with, there is no evidence of harm or damage to anybody from the alleged data breach despite the claim trying to speak for as many as 2.9 million potential class members. Docken claims to have felt compelled to buy insurance against identity theft in response to the news of the breach, but that was an expense he chose to incur. There hasn’t been an indication of a need for such a policy due to the sharing of the elector’s data. The claim heavily relies on risks and potential future harm. It’s difficult to measure damages for something that may never happen.

As far as can be found, the data sharing didn’t get far before the leak was shut down. Public reporting so far shows limited access: roughly 23 people received full copies and about 545 accessed a searchable online database before it was taken down via court injunction on April 30, 2026.

In naming Elections Alberta and Alberta’s solicitor general as defendants, at least part of the motivation of the suit appears to be monetary. There has been no indication of wrongdoing on the part of the government or Elections Alberta in the data breach, but the plaintiff is doubtless aware that David Parker and his Centurion Project don’t have much in the way of funds to take even if the suit were to succeed.

The investigations by the RCMP and Elections Alberta are still ongoing. It has yet to be proven if the data was improperly used or shared, making the filing of a suit over the issue premature.

As a former class action specialist, Clint Docken is well aware this suit likely isn’t going anywhere. It does keep the data breach in the public eye as a referendum approaches. As long as the affair drags out and periodically comes into the spotlight, it offers a handy tool to federalists to question the integrity of the independence movement. As long as no damages have been identified, the issue will continue to lose steam in the eyes of the public.

If the allegations against David Parker and the Centurion Project are found to be true, he will likely face serious sanctions, including possible criminal charges. However, it won't warrant a class action suit.