Opposition parties slam election dirty tricks campaign possibly linked to Tories
Tonda MacCharles Ottawa Bureau
Published On Thu Feb 23 2012
Source
OTTAWA—A disturbing story of political intrigue unfolded Thursday with a headline-grabbing report that Elections Canada is investigating ties between the Conservatives and a company used to make automated phone calls that falsely diverted voters from polls in the 2011 election.
The prime minister was forced to deny any official connection between him or his party and fraudulent calls into key swing ridings in the last campaign, following a bombshell report in the Ottawa Citizen and Postmedia News.
The report detailed how automated recorded calls that went out in several ridings directing voters to different polling stations to cast their ballot. It said Elections Canada has linked the calls to RackNine, an Edmonton-based voice-broadcast company that has done work for the Conservative Party across the country.
It prompted the NDP to write formal letters of complaint to the Commissioner of Elections and the RCMP, urging a full investigation and charges against those responsible for “dirty tricks” during the last campaign, and raising the possibility a public inquiry might be warranted.
In Iqaluit, Prime Minister Stephen Harper distanced himself and his party’s directors from any wrongdoing, but left open the possibility of a rogue party operative.
“I have absolutely no knowledge on anything about these calls. But obviously if there’s anyone who’s done anything wrong we will expect that they will face the full consequences of the law,” said Harper.
Asked what steps he’s taken as party leader to assure himself his party conducts itself ethically, Harper distinguished the new scandal from the 2006 “in-and-out” affair which saw the Conservative Party plead guilty to exceeding national election advertising limits. Harper said the “regional media buys” which allowed national funds to be funneled through the accounts of local campaigns was a “different instance.”
“We based our judgments on what we thought were the rules were at the time. In this case, our party has no knowledge of these calls, they’re not part of our campaign.”
However it wasn’t good enough for the NDP’s fiery Manitoba MP Pat Martin who dismissed any talk of “rogue” Tories.
“Surely these young punks didn’t unilaterally construct this massive conspiracy to defraud the electoral system and initiate hundreds of thousands of phone calls into NDP swing ridings.”
He said the “facts would indicate a well orchestrated widespread conspiracy orchestrated from top.”
The published report said Elections Canada was probing complaints received in Guelph, one of 18 ridings where voters were targeted by harassing or deceptive phone messages in an apparent effort to discourage Liberal supporters from voting. The NDP upped that number Thursday, saying they were aware of eight other NDP-held swing ridings, and at least one BQ-held riding where voters reported crank “robocalls,” for a total of 27 ridings where deception may have been at play.
The Official Opposition dispatched Martin to launch a blistering attack on the Conservatives. He suggested the governing party effectively stole the election. Martin questioned “the legitimacy of the Conservatives’ 39-per-cent majority mandate.”
“Did they really win that last federal election? Or did they achieve their razor thin majority by cheating?”
“Cynical old-style politics have become a trademark for the Conservatives,” said New Democrat leader Nycole Turmel in a news release. “Just a few months ago they pled guilty to breaking election spending laws, now they’ve upped the ante with what looks like the most widespread and systematic voter suppression campaign in Canadian history.”
RackNine, the Edmonton company that facilitated the “robocalls” — a common political informational or get-out-the-vote tactic — said it is cooperating with Elections Canada investigators.
It conducts automated or “robocalls” for paying clients, but Matt Meier would not identify to Postmedia and the Ottawa Citizen which client was linked to the allegedly fraudulent voter poll calls, citing confidentiality.
The report noted the company has worked for the Conservative Party across the country. Indeed, the NDP on Thursday revealed Elections Canada documents show the prime minister’s own riding used the company for automated dialing.
Elections Canada would not confirm any specific investigation is underway, but spokesman John Enright noted that the federal elections commissioner William Corbett reported to parliament last year his office “is looking into several complaints surrounding crank calls designed to discourage voting, discourage voting for a particular party, or incorrectly advise electors of changed polling locations.”
Acknowledging the seriousness of the allegations of voter suppression, the Conservatives flatly denied any involvement.
About two hours before Harper spoke, Jenni Byrne, national campaign manger for the Conservatives’ 2011 campaign, issued a written statement to say the party “ran a clean and ethical campaign and would never tolerate such activity.”
“The party was not involved with these calls and if anyone on a local campaign was involved they will not play a role in a future campaign.”
“We spent the entire campaign identifying supporters and we worked hard to get them out to vote. Our job is to get votes out, we do not engage in voter suppression.
Tonda MacCharles Ottawa Bureau
Published On Thu Feb 23 2012
Source
OTTAWA—A disturbing story of political intrigue unfolded Thursday with a headline-grabbing report that Elections Canada is investigating ties between the Conservatives and a company used to make automated phone calls that falsely diverted voters from polls in the 2011 election.
The prime minister was forced to deny any official connection between him or his party and fraudulent calls into key swing ridings in the last campaign, following a bombshell report in the Ottawa Citizen and Postmedia News.
The report detailed how automated recorded calls that went out in several ridings directing voters to different polling stations to cast their ballot. It said Elections Canada has linked the calls to RackNine, an Edmonton-based voice-broadcast company that has done work for the Conservative Party across the country.
It prompted the NDP to write formal letters of complaint to the Commissioner of Elections and the RCMP, urging a full investigation and charges against those responsible for “dirty tricks” during the last campaign, and raising the possibility a public inquiry might be warranted.
In Iqaluit, Prime Minister Stephen Harper distanced himself and his party’s directors from any wrongdoing, but left open the possibility of a rogue party operative.
“I have absolutely no knowledge on anything about these calls. But obviously if there’s anyone who’s done anything wrong we will expect that they will face the full consequences of the law,” said Harper.
Asked what steps he’s taken as party leader to assure himself his party conducts itself ethically, Harper distinguished the new scandal from the 2006 “in-and-out” affair which saw the Conservative Party plead guilty to exceeding national election advertising limits. Harper said the “regional media buys” which allowed national funds to be funneled through the accounts of local campaigns was a “different instance.”
“We based our judgments on what we thought were the rules were at the time. In this case, our party has no knowledge of these calls, they’re not part of our campaign.”
However it wasn’t good enough for the NDP’s fiery Manitoba MP Pat Martin who dismissed any talk of “rogue” Tories.
“Surely these young punks didn’t unilaterally construct this massive conspiracy to defraud the electoral system and initiate hundreds of thousands of phone calls into NDP swing ridings.”
He said the “facts would indicate a well orchestrated widespread conspiracy orchestrated from top.”
The published report said Elections Canada was probing complaints received in Guelph, one of 18 ridings where voters were targeted by harassing or deceptive phone messages in an apparent effort to discourage Liberal supporters from voting. The NDP upped that number Thursday, saying they were aware of eight other NDP-held swing ridings, and at least one BQ-held riding where voters reported crank “robocalls,” for a total of 27 ridings where deception may have been at play.
The Official Opposition dispatched Martin to launch a blistering attack on the Conservatives. He suggested the governing party effectively stole the election. Martin questioned “the legitimacy of the Conservatives’ 39-per-cent majority mandate.”
“Did they really win that last federal election? Or did they achieve their razor thin majority by cheating?”
“Cynical old-style politics have become a trademark for the Conservatives,” said New Democrat leader Nycole Turmel in a news release. “Just a few months ago they pled guilty to breaking election spending laws, now they’ve upped the ante with what looks like the most widespread and systematic voter suppression campaign in Canadian history.”
RackNine, the Edmonton company that facilitated the “robocalls” — a common political informational or get-out-the-vote tactic — said it is cooperating with Elections Canada investigators.
It conducts automated or “robocalls” for paying clients, but Matt Meier would not identify to Postmedia and the Ottawa Citizen which client was linked to the allegedly fraudulent voter poll calls, citing confidentiality.
The report noted the company has worked for the Conservative Party across the country. Indeed, the NDP on Thursday revealed Elections Canada documents show the prime minister’s own riding used the company for automated dialing.
Elections Canada would not confirm any specific investigation is underway, but spokesman John Enright noted that the federal elections commissioner William Corbett reported to parliament last year his office “is looking into several complaints surrounding crank calls designed to discourage voting, discourage voting for a particular party, or incorrectly advise electors of changed polling locations.”
Acknowledging the seriousness of the allegations of voter suppression, the Conservatives flatly denied any involvement.
About two hours before Harper spoke, Jenni Byrne, national campaign manger for the Conservatives’ 2011 campaign, issued a written statement to say the party “ran a clean and ethical campaign and would never tolerate such activity.”
“The party was not involved with these calls and if anyone on a local campaign was involved they will not play a role in a future campaign.”
“We spent the entire campaign identifying supporters and we worked hard to get them out to vote. Our job is to get votes out, we do not engage in voter suppression.