Stephen Harper's Hypocritical "Election Deception"

If "this government is clean," why don't they come clean on election financing?

"Media reports over the last month revealed that Federal Court documents detail that the Conservatives allegedly funnelled over $1 million in national advertising expenditures through at least 66 of their candidates campaigns, which were also signed off by their official agents.

The implications of this scam are two-fold. If properly accounted for as part of the Conservative Party's national campaign, then the party that forms the current government exceeded the $18 million national spending limit and broke the law in getting itself elected. And, if that's not enough, we then have the spectacle of scores of Conservative candidates (click for list of names) having claimed reimbursement of 60 per cent of the money at issue, money that Elections Canada ruled them ineligible to receive. If these allegations are proven, this would amount to election fraud." http://www.liberal.ca/story_13156_e.aspx

Stephen Harper’s Election Deception

Stephen Harper’s Conservatives are currently being investigated by Elections Canada for allegedly orchestrating an elaborate money-laundering scheme that allowed them to spend more on national advertising than the law permits during the last election while attempting to get rebates for monies the national party hid by funnelling through Conservative candidate campaigns.

If these allegations are proven true, they would amount to fraud and a gross breach of the public trust.

This shocking scheme appears to have been designed and administered by senior Conservative operatives to secretly exceed the legal spending limit by $1.3 million and gain an additional $780,000 in taxpayer-funded rebates to their Conservative candidates for expenses those campaigns did not incur and for advertising that was not at all local in nature or scope.

Worse still, this scheme appears to implicate the campaigns of 17 sitting Conservative MPs, including members of Stephen Harper’s Cabinet.

Liberals are demanding accountability and honesty from Stephen Harper and his Conservative Party.

Specifically, Liberals are demanding that Stephen Harper’s Conservatives:

• Provide a full list of candidates who participated in the scheme;
• Commit to refrain from using a similar scheme in the next federal election;
• Repay all rebate monies already received by the scheme; and,
• Drop their court case against Elections Canada, and instead, cooperate fully with its ongoing investigation into the Conservative Party.

These allegations should not be taken lightly: the Canada Elections Act sets out very serious penalties for any individual or political party found guilty of the allegations currently faced by Stephen Harper’s Conservatives. Exceeding election spending limits, colluding to exceed election spending limits, and knowingly filing fraudulent election expense claims all bring with them hefty fines and even jail time.

That’s why Liberals think it is time Stephen Harper’s Conservatives stop playing politics with this issue and start telling the truth.

Nothing is more important for the continued integrity of our elections than ensuring that all political parties contest them fairly and play by the rules. Canadians demand no less. (http://www.liberal.ca/issue_election_e.aspx)

Harper Must Come Clean on Deceptive Financing
October 18, 2007

Prime Minister Stephen Harper must stop playing politics and come clean on his alleged involvement in deceptive financing practices during the 2006 parliamentary election, the Liberal opposition demanded today.

“Elections Canada has said the Conservatives violated election financing rules to the tune of $1.2 million dollars,” said Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion. “The Prime Minister's closest advisors are implicated. How can he say to Canadians that he was not aware of this unethical and illegal behaviour?

“I’m asking Mr. Harper, both as the leader of the Conservative Party and as Prime Minister, to tell us what he knew and when he knew it. Did the Prime Minister violate election laws?”

Despite several opportunities to absolve himself of any implication in the scandal, Mr. Harper refused to answer the opposition’s questions, choosing instead to hide behind Conservative House Leader Peter Van Loan.

The Conservative Party is currently being investigated by Elections Canada for allegedly breaking campaign spending laws during the 2006 general election by funneling national advertising costs to regional candidates, who were then able to apply for taxpayer-funded rebates.

Deputy Leader Michael Ignatieff pointed out that Prime Minister Harper and his team are increasingly betraying the public’s trust.

“The government’s conduct has been called into question by independent organizations. It is under investigation not in one, not in two, but in three separate cases,” said Mr. Ignatieff. “Clearly the Conservatives want to sweep all of this under the rug so Canadians do not get the facts.”

For a party that boasts accountability, the Conservatives’ own practices seem nothing short of hypocritical. The Liberal opposition believes it is time for Mr. Harper and his party to start telling the truth. Canadians deserve an honest and accountable government. (Source: http://www.liberal.ca/story_13221_e.aspx)