Attack ads may have been illegal

Campaign targeted Ontario teachers unions

Full-page newspaper ads attacking teachers’ unions that were traced to a Vaughan lawyer with Progressive Conservative ties appear to have violated Ontario election laws.

The controversial ads, published in the Toronto Star, the Globe and Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Sun in February, were “an apparent contravention” of the Election Finances Act.

According to Elections Ontario, “Vaughan Health Campus of Care, a company operating business as Vaughan Working Families,” failed to register as a third party.

“The chief electoral officer has therefore reported this matter to the Ministry of the Attorney General,” Kevin Thomas, the manager of compliance enforcement at Elections Ontario, said Wednesday.

“Once the chief electoral officer reports an apparent contravention, it may be investigated by a police service and, with the consent of the chief electoral officer, prosecuted by the Crown,” added Thomas.

There are fines of up to $5,000 for breaching the election law.

Invoices for the ads were sent care of Loopstra Nixon LLP, where lawyer Quinto Annibale, whom the Tories appointed as vice-chair of the Liquor Control Board of Ontario last year, is a partner.

Allan Ritchie, managing partner of the law firm, said Annibale resigned as a director of the Vaughan Health Campus of Care on Feb.12 after the controversy erupted.

Annibale did not return calls or emails from the Star.

But lawyer Stephen Thiele, who represents Vaughan Working Families, said the group “did not contravene the Elections Finances Act in any way whatsoever and was not required as a matter of law to register as a third-party advertiser during Ontario’s two most recent by-elections.”

Thiele noted his client was doing the same thing as two teachers’ unions that took out ads at the same time and neither the Elementary Teachers’ Federation nor the Catholic teachers’ union is being investigated.