OTTAWA - The federal Liberals are demanding Prime Minister Stephen Harper accept responsibility for a voter-identification campaign the Grits call a "phone campaign of lies" in the Montreal riding of Mount Royal, represented by Liberal MP Irwin Cotler.
Cotler has complained his privileges were breached by phone calls to his constituents, asking about who they'd support "in the pending or imminent byelection" there.
However, Cotler says he isn't resigning and there's no imminent byelection.
On Thursday, Liberal MP Geoff Regan called on the prime minister to "apologize for this outrage against democracy, shut down his dirty tricks team and call on Elections Canada to investigate."
The Tories didn't respond to Regan, but earlier in the week, Government House leader Peter Van Loan said spreading rumours about resignations plagued even Canada's first prime minister.
"Sir John A. Macdonald, in the greatest tradition of democracy, understood it to be part of normal discourse," Van Loan said. "It is not a kind of speech that should begin to be chilled at this point."
Cotler rejected the free speech defence of what he called "push-pull" tactics.
"You can't engage in this pernicious dissemination of false and misleading and prejudicial information about a member because it's a breach of privilege," he said.
The Tories have also been victims of similar tactics, meant to implant an idea in voters' minds.
Ahead of the 2004 election, the Liberals engaged in a "push poll," asking Ontarians whether they'd still support the Tories if they knew the party "had been taken over by Evangelical Christians."
Origin
Source: IFPress
Cotler has complained his privileges were breached by phone calls to his constituents, asking about who they'd support "in the pending or imminent byelection" there.
However, Cotler says he isn't resigning and there's no imminent byelection.
On Thursday, Liberal MP Geoff Regan called on the prime minister to "apologize for this outrage against democracy, shut down his dirty tricks team and call on Elections Canada to investigate."
The Tories didn't respond to Regan, but earlier in the week, Government House leader Peter Van Loan said spreading rumours about resignations plagued even Canada's first prime minister.
"Sir John A. Macdonald, in the greatest tradition of democracy, understood it to be part of normal discourse," Van Loan said. "It is not a kind of speech that should begin to be chilled at this point."
Cotler rejected the free speech defence of what he called "push-pull" tactics.
"You can't engage in this pernicious dissemination of false and misleading and prejudicial information about a member because it's a breach of privilege," he said.
The Tories have also been victims of similar tactics, meant to implant an idea in voters' minds.
Ahead of the 2004 election, the Liberals engaged in a "push poll," asking Ontarians whether they'd still support the Tories if they knew the party "had been taken over by Evangelical Christians."
Origin
Source: IFPress
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