(OTTAWA) June 2, 2016 - Elizabeth May, Leader of the Green Party of Canada (MP, Saanich-Gulf Islands), is asking Elections Canada to re-open its investigation into robocalls during the 2008 election in Saanich-Gulf Islands, following testimony provided by Sen. Mike Duffy during his recent trial.
On May 31, Ms. May sent a letter to Elections Canada asking to re-open the investigation into the potential violations of the Elections Act in Saanich-Gulf Islands.
“It is alarming to me and to many of my constituents that voter fraud may have been committed in our riding and no one has been caught. I am sure we agree that the integrity of our elections must be beyond reproach,” Ms. May wrote in her letter to Elections Canada CEO Marc Mayrand, RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson, Commissioner of Canada Elections Yves Coté, and Director of Public Prosecutions Brian Sanders.
On Dec. 10, Duffy testified under oath that Gary Lunn had “had a close call during the previous election and it was only through the divine intervention of (late campaign manager) Doug Finley's black ops group at Conservative headquarters that he managed to get himself re-elected.”
Duffy continued: “Basically what happened was that they used robocalls to misdirect NDP voters, to split the vote and allow Gary Lunn to win. He knew nothing about it, except that they phoned him afterward and said, ‘You're welcome, Gary.’ He said, ‘What?’ (They said), “We got you in.’”
Duffy’s testimony was neither challenged, nor contradicted, by the Crown. It is taken as fact in Justice Vaillancourt’s ruling of April 21.
“The tricks that were tested in 2008 were put to use again in 2011,” Ms. May said. “While one individual has been convicted, all parties responsible for thousands of fradulent phone calls – each one of them a criminal offense under our elections law – remain at large. Elections Canada should follow their own investigatory guidelines and re-open the 2008 robocalls investigation in Saanich-Gulf Islands.”
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For additional information or to arrange an interview, contact:
Daniel Palmer
Press Secretary | Attaché de presse
dan.palmer@greenparty.ca
m: (613) 614-4916