Conservatives admit they're behind false byelection calls

[Slava]

In something that can really only be described as sleazy, if not illegal, the CPC admits they've been calling people in Irwin Cotlers riding about a possible byelection. People in the riding are confused and Cotler hasn't resigned and has no intention to do so....just the kind of thing we need in Canadian politics.

http://www.nationalpost.com/m/wp/new...ral-mps-riding

[SeeBass]

I actually had a push poll courtesy of the Wild Rose the other day.

[Cowboy89]

I'm actually fairly confused why they needed to lie in order to 'identify supporters.' Couldn't they have been more direct and truthful and just called people and asked if they had their support in the possible event that there was a byelection?

[Slava]

It is weird, no question. I suppose that you might as well practice your lying before you have to use it in a campaign situation though!

[Azure]

Strange, but not exactly surprising. Sign of a party barely hanging on.

[calculoso]

Definitely sounds like a bad process. Bad Conservatives!

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Azure

Strange, but not exactly surprising. Sign of a party barely hanging on.

A party that just won a majority, and a five-year mandate is "barely hanging on"?

Presumably the calls were made by a third party, "on behalf of". I wonder who actually wrote the script the callers were using? Poor form regardless.

[Azure]

Oh crap. Thought it was about the provincial conservatives. My bad.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

A party that just won a majority, and a five-year mandate is "barely hanging on"?

Presumably the calls were made by a third party, "on behalf of". I wonder who actually wrote the script the callers were using? Poor form regardless.

Well the CPC has admitted its part here. Sure the calls were made by a third party (thats noted in the article), but the party has basically come straight out and misled voters.

To me its not just that its the CPC (I know that no one will believe that though), but instead its the fact that we have politicians willingly and knowingly misleading voters. We have enough apathy already and stunts like this just make things worse.

[Resolute 14]

Any call made on behalf of the party is the party's responsibility. The CPC is owning up to it, even as they try to deflate people's opinions of how serious the transgression is (exactly as the Liberals or NDP would do).

My point is that it would be better to know how this process came about. Did the CPC give the third party the script on what to ask in the call, or did it just go to said party and give general terms on what it was looking for? e.g.: "If there were an election in this riding tomorrow, what support would we have?"

The former is far more concerning than the latter. If the latter, that is just a silly mistake that is easily rectified by greater control over what messages are being given by contracted third parties. If the former, then the CPC itself needs to take a look at its tactics.