PCs allege NDP breaching Elections Act in Point Douglas

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This article was published 07/06/2017 (2716 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Progressive Conservatives are alleging “irregular or improper activity” on the part of the NDP at a Point Douglas polling station.

The Tories say NDP candidate Bernadette Smith violated the Elections Act, while Tyndall Park MLA Ted Marcelino inappropriately attempted to influence voters.

The NDP say the accusations are baseless and an attempt to “smear” its campaign.

The allegations — contained in a letter to the Elections Manitoba returning officer for the Point Douglas byelection — relate to NDP activities at the advanced polling station at Neechi Commons on Main Street.

Advanced voting began June 3 and continues through Saturday. The byelection is on Tuesday.

The Tories, in a letter by lawyer George Orle, allege Smith posted a photo on her Twitter account June 5 of two individuals in front of the Neechi Commons polling station, thanking them for coming out to vote for the NDP. In their complaint, the PCs attached a screenshot of the tweet, which has since been removed.

The Conservatives say interacting with and photographing voters at a polling station “for the purpose of producing promotional materials” is in contravention of Section 124 (1) of the Election Act.

They also allege that on June 3, Marcelino was observed throughout the day at the Neechi Commons polling station.

They describe Marcelino as “moving back and forth between the polling station inside and the parking lot.”

“The presence of a high-profile member of the NDP caucus at the polling station should be seen as an attempt to influence voters. We would ask that when these activities are brought to the attention of the RO (returning officer) they should cease,” Orle said in the letter.

The PCs say they are also concerned the polling station located in Neechi Commons has a balcony where it appears NDP politicians are congregating.

“They can easily be recognized and observed from the polling area,” Orle wrote.

“We would appreciate an early response to this matter so that the remaining advance polls and election day polls are not similarly affected.”

NDP spokesman Matt Austman said the tweet attributed to Smith contained a photo of two party supporters who had just voted.

“Bernadette was not in the photo and did not take the picture. The picture was removed because even though there was nothing wrong with it, it could be misunderstood by Twitter viewers,” Austman said in an emailed statement.

He called the allegations “a desperate attempt by the PC Party to distract from the real issue(s) at hand,” including government cuts to the Rent Assist program and reduced support for the North Point Douglas Women’s Centre.

“If the PCs actually were interested in following the law, they would realize that their own campaign office is across the street from a polling station, and would find that its location is conspicuously close to the advance polling location at Neechi Commons,” Austman said.

A spokeswoman for Elections Manitoba acknowledged receipt of the complaint, which she said would be forwarded to Manitoba’s commissioner of elections, who has the authority to investigate.

“Our election staff are aware of the rules concerning political activities at the voting place and will continue to deliver professional services during advance (voting) and on election day,” she said.

The byelection was necessitated by the resignation of NDP MLA Kevin Chief early this year.

larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca