Liberal Public Works Critic Martha Hall Findlay is filing a complaint with the Ethics Commissioner for abuse of conflict of interest in the Harper government’s $60 million-and counting partisan advertising campaign.
“Since the Harper government came into office, it has been gradually exploiting the mechanisms of government for partisan gain,” said Ms. Hall Findlay. “We believe that the Harper government’s partisan advertising campaign breaches both the Conflict of Interest Act and the Conflict of Interest Code which applies to Members of Parliament – and we’re asking the Ethics Commissioner for a Review.
The latest ethics complaint against the Harper government comes after a request to the Treasury Board to end this practice went unanswered. Ethics investigations are already underway over rampant use of false cheques and improper fundraising practices.
“All of these are symptoms of a larger disease – confusing the Conservative Party with the Government of Canada,” said Ms. Hall Findlay.
The new complaint outlines government use of photos, colors, images and slogans in taxpayer funded advertising that are identical to those used by the Conservative Party in order to confer a benefit promoting their electoral prospects.
The self-congratulatory advertisements do not provide information needed by the Canadian public, but rather extol the virtues of the Government of Canada as a Conservative Party look-alike through unsubstantiated, false and exaggerated claims of accomplishment.
The Liberals have committed to close loopholes in federal advertising rules and ban partisan advertising by ensuring a third-party review of government ads.
This comes as the Liberal opposition revealed the latest abuse of taxpayer dollars for government propaganda purposes – “wrap” advertising of GO commuter trains in Ontario and the Canada Line in British Columbia – while confusion over H1N1 continues due to a lack of government information.
“Canadian taxpayers are offended by the unethical use of their public money to promote partisan ends on signage, billboards, train-wraps, TV, radio, web, and print ads”, said Ms. Hall Findlay. “This government must stop trying to buy Canadians with their own money.”
Contact: Office of Martha Hall Findlay, MP: 613-992-4964
Background: Letter to the Ethics Commissioner and Appendices
