Hopefuls question Broten statements

Two NDP leadership contenders are raising concerns about similarities between Saskatoon MLA Cam Broten’s campaign material and a party policy document from 2011.

“I support recycling, but the post-secondary education critic should know not to hand in plagiarized work. Our party’s leadership contest committee will have to investigate and resolve this matter,” said Regina economist Erin Weir.

At issue are numerous Broten campaign policy statements that appear to be almost word-for-word the same as lines from the 2011 Rooted and Growing Vision final report of the NDP policy review task force he chaired. There are several examples of paragraphs in which only one or two words differ between the two sources.

“I think that there is something to be concerned about there,” said Saskatoon doctor Ryan Meili. “We’re in a leadership race and it’s not really enough for him to tell us what the party thinks. We need to know what he thinks.

“Being an academic myself and an author, I know that if you’re going to use something and it comes from someone else, you need to quote your sources. I think it’s good that people recognize the source of those ideas and I hope Mr. Broten will come forward and say that was the source and have a good explanation.”

Broten said he doesn’t “share the same concerns that others have on this issue,” describing the situation as “rather silly.

“All campaigns have pulled from things that the party has been talking about,” he said. “And I was very much involved in the policy process, so what would be strange is if there wasn’t overlap.

“Erin Weir’s literature all goes back to the resolutions which are straight out of party conventions,” Broten said, noting the 2011 document was also passed at conventions.

Weir said that he has “drawn upon resolutions passed by NDP conventions to put forward specific policy proposals, but my campaign documents reference these resolutions.

“That’s quite different than copying whole paragraphs from a party policy document, presenting them as one’s personal vision,” he added.

The fourth candidate in the race — which will conclude in March at a convention in Saskatoon — is Regina MLA Trent Wotherspoon, who wouldn’t comment on Broten’s situation.