Robocall probe widens to 200 ridings
OTTAWA— The investigation into misleading calls to voters in last year’s federal election now reaches into about 200 ridings across Canada, the chief electoral officer says.
Marc Mayrand repeatedly told a Commons committee on Thursday that he’s seriously troubled by the alleged assault on democracy — an “absolutely outrageous” offence if proven true, even if it’s just one case.
But he dispelled suggestions that the probe was dealing with only a few incidents, such as in Guelph, Ont., where the probe began.
“I can tell you that the 800 com- plaints or so cut across pretty much the whole country,” Mayrand said, in his first public appearance since the so-called “robocalls” controversy erupted more than a month ago. “If you ask me, it’s 10 provinces and one territory.”
Mayrand has promised to submit a report on the so-called “robocalls” affair “within a year,” though it is possible that the official investigation, led by Canada’s Elections Commissioner, will have laid formal charges by then. Mayrand and the commissioner are also due to deliver yet another update to the Commons procedure and ethics committee before the summer. Elections Canada has been looking into reports since last May of phone calls received by voters, in which people masquerading as elections officials were directing people to wrong or non-existent polling stations. The investigation exploded into a full-fledged political scandal in February, when news reports revealed a Conservative party connection — the callers’ lists somehow obtained from a firm employed by the governing party to make legitimate “robocalls” to voters. The Conservative party has insisted it did not know of the fraudulent calls. But it has also been trying to tamp down the controversy since it began, describing it variously as a “smear campaign” or a plot by Liberal or rogue operatives. At the committee meeting on Thursday, Conservative MPS were also looking to play down the scope of the robocalls affair, with MP John Williamson (New Brunswick Southwest) saying that 800 complaints amounted to several per rid- ing and Tom Lukiwski (ReginaLumsden-lake Centre) saying he was heartened to hear that Mayrand stood by the May 2 results. “Remember, these are complaints. They are unfounded at this time,” Lukiwski told reporters.
Opposition MPS, however, are saying that it’s important to keep the public’s attention on the alleged interference in the last election.
“I think Canadians smell a giant rat,” Liberal MP Marc Garneau said. Mayrand was at the committee because he had asked for a chance to speak publicly and reassure Canadians that their electoral system was being taken seriously.