OTTAWA _ A primer on the alleged misconduct of the federal Conservative party in the last federal election, courtesy of Canadian Press:
WHAT _ Elections Canada alleges that the Conservative party organized a program to allow it to spend more on election ads than allowed under the rules through an “in-and-out” scheme. This program shifted $1.3 million in expenses to 67 local candidates who had room under election
spending limits to pay for advertising, but didn’t have the cash.
WHO _ The elections watchdog says the party sent the money to these individual campaigns, which then sent it right back, supposedly as a payment for regional ads. But the money actually was spent by the party on national ads, Elections Canada alleges.
HOW _ The agency says the party transferred money to 67 campaign bank accounts “and within a very short span of time, these funds or funds closely approximating the amounts deposited, were transferred back out of these accounts.”
WHY _ The elections watchdog says this plan allowed the national party to overspend its legal limits by about $1.1 million. And 65 of the 67 the individual campaigns involved got to claim 60 per cent reimbursement from the government for the phantom ad money that just passed through their bank accounts. The other two campaigns didn’t get enough votes to qualify for reimbursements.
PENALTIES _ Elections Canada alleges that the program violated a number of sections of the Elections Act. Convictions could bring a maximum penalty of up to five years in jail and a $5,000 fine for the financial agents involved and a $25,000 fine for the party. Most violations of the act bring fines, usually $2,000 or less.
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Sitting MPs in bold. Note: List contains 65 names, as two candidates did not receive sufficient numbers of ballots to qualify for a public refund of expenses. Entire list .
British Columbia
Burnaby-Douglas, George Drazenovic
Burnaby-New Westminster, Marc Dalton
Cariboo-Prince George, Dick Harris
Esquimalt-Juan de Fuca, Troy DeSouza
Kelowna-Lake Country, Ron Cannan
Kootenay-Columbia, Jim Abbott
Nanaimo-Cowichan, Norm Sowden
Okanagan-Coquihalla, Stockwell Day
Okanagan-Shuswap, Colin Mayes
Prince George-Peace River, Jay Hill
Vancouver East, Elizabeth M. Pagtakhan
Vancouver Kingsway, Kanman Wong
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