Elections watchdog sanctions Green party

GATINEAU, Que. (CP) — The federal Green party will have to publish a public apology on its website and in a national news release after Canada’s elections watchdog found that it distributed a misleading poll in Victoria during last October’s election. The Commissioner of Canada Elections says the compliance agreement is the result of a flyer that was distributed in the riding of Victoria just before voting day, designed to suggest the local Green candidate was in a virtual tie with the NDP. The 2,500 flyers said the two candidates were deadlocked in the latest poll, when in fact the internal Green party poll was a week old and – as shown by five subsequent Green party polls – the New Democrat lead was increasing. The commissioner also found that the flyers did not include the poll’s margin of error – in this case, plus or minus 9.8 per cent – which is required by elections law.