Chase Research, identified as the source of a robocall opposing changes to Saskatchewan’s riding boundaries, is listed with the telecom regulator as a trade name registered by Edmonton-based RackNine Inc.
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission data back up the findings of a forensic voice-analysis expert retained by the Citizen and Postmedia News who matched the voice on an outgoing Chase Research voice-mail to RackNine owner Matt Meier.
When the Citizen last week asked Meier if his company was involved in the Saskatchewan call, he sent an email saying, “Thanks for thinking of me, but your fascination is unwarranted.”
Since then, he has not responded to repeated emails and voice-messages seeking more information.
The CRTC said Thursday that Chase Research is listed in RackNine’s registration as a telemarketer using the national do-not-call-list.
The registration could insulate the party from allegations that the robocall poll breached telemarketing rules requiring that the originator of calls be identified.
Saskatchewan Liberal MP Ralph Goodale has filed a complaint over the calls with the CRTC.
The Conservative party initially denied any involvement in the call, with director of communications Fred DeLorey saying the party was not doing any polling.
After the voice recordings were found to be a 95-per-cent match by U.S.-based voice analyst Ed Primeau, DeLorey issued a press release admitting the calls were made on the party’s behalf and blamed the initial denial on “internal miscommunication.”
Although the party says it should have been identified in the call, in question period over the past two days, Prime Minister Stephen Harper has said the calls were entirely legal.
The robocall to an unknown number of recipients was presented as an interactive poll but appears designed to rally opposition to new riding boundaries proposed by the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for Saskatchewan, an independent body.
The Conservatives oppose the proposed creation of five entirely urban seats in Saskatoon and Regina, a redraw expected to help opposition parties cut into the Tories’ dominance over Saskatchewan in the 2015 election.
The technique of masquerading political spin as public-opinion research is common in U.S. elections and is known, derisively, as push polling.
Saskatchewan Conservative MP Tom Lukiwski told Saskatchewan radio stations on Wednesday that he opposed such “deceptive” calls, but in the House that same day, Harper defended the calls, saying they followed the rules.
On Thursday, Goodale, Saskatchewan’s lone opposition MP, pointed to the discrepancy.
“Now that he is so bluntly contradicted by the parliamentary secretary, would the prime minister join in asking the CRTC to investigate this matter?” he said.
“There is no violation of the CRTC rules, in this case, unlike what the Liberal party did in a very different case,” Harper responded, apparently referring to a call sent out by the campaign of Guelph Liberal MP Frank Valeriote days before the 2011 vote. Because that call did not indicate the source, Valeriote’s riding association was fined $4,900 by the CRTC.
“The fact of the matter is the party has said there was a mistake made here and has clarified that,” Harper said.
The name Chase Research was also used in a push poll in Alberta last February, before the provincial election campaign. It asked voters which they preferred from a long menu of tax increases allegedly favoured by Progressive Conservative Premier Alison Redford.
Some believed the call was made on behalf of the Wildrose Party, although that was never proven.
RackNine, an Edmonton-based voice-broadcasting company, was thrust into the spotlight one year ago, when it was revealed to be the conduit for calls directing Guelph voters to the wrong polling location in the 2011 election.
Meier has said he was unaware his company was being used for the call and says he is helping Elections Canada find the customer known to him as “Pierre Jones.”
Conservative party supporters have maintained that the Guelph robocall was likely launched by someone independent of the party’s national campaign.
Original Article
Source: canada.com
Author: Glen McGregor and Stephen Maher
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