New BrunswickB次元官网网址檚 chief electoral officer is analyzing a complaint filed against the conservative political action group New Brunswick Proud, which has ties to similar right-leaning organizations that have recently sprung up with the goal of influencing Canadian voters.
Elections New Brunswick confirmed Tuesday that it has received a request from Moncton Centre MLA Robert McKee to probe the operations of the registered third party during the 2018 provincial election.
McKeeB次元官网网址檚 complaint alleges that during last yearB次元官网网址檚 election campaign, New Brunswick Proud committed B次元官网网址渦nethicalB次元官网网址� activities that potentially breached electoral law.
Registered third parties can be interest groups, individuals, unions or other organizations that want to run political advertisements before and during provincial and federal election campaigns. They donB次元官网网址檛 face spending limits on ads before the official campaign begins but are tightly regulated during the writ period.
New Brunswick Proud is among a number of similarly named groups that have recently appeared to compete against left-leaning registered third parties in the messaging war to influence Canadian voters.
It and groups such as Ontario Proud, Quebec Proud and Canada Proud have large Facebook followings and often post messages highly critical of Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau and favourable to Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer.
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McKeeB次元官网网址檚 complaint says New Brunswick Proud should be investigated on several grounds, including for alleged improper financial disclosures and for potential B次元官网网址渃ollusionB次元官网网址� with the provincial Progressive Conservative party. The complaint does not include direct evidence against New Brunswick Proud for either of these allegations.
McKee said he lodged his complaint with chief electoral officer Kimberly Poffenroth in an effort to get her to review the provinceB次元官网网址檚 election rules in order to B次元官网网址渓evel the playing field.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淭hese third parties are shadowy-type groups,B次元官网网址� he said in an interview.
Representatives from New Brunswick Proud did not return a request for comment. But one of the directors of Ontario Proud, Jeffrey Ballingall, said the New Brunswick group and others around the country with similar names, B次元官网网址渨ere inspired by me.B次元官网网址�
Ballingall, who said he helps run Ontario Proud, B.C. Proud and Canada Proud, said his work is B次元官网网址渞esonatingB次元官网网址� with Canadians across the country.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e trying to fight for responsible, accountable government, lower taxes, jobs, and (against) corruption,B次元官网网址� he said in an interview. B次元官网网址淭rying to shine a light on Justin TrudeauB次元官网网址檚 stupidity, arrogance and corruption.B次元官网网址�
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His said his company did B次元官网网址渟ome consultation workB次元官网网址� for the New Brunswick group but no longer has any affiliation with it.
New Brunswick ProudB次元官网网址檚 financial returns show the third party gave BallingallB次元官网网址檚 company, Mobilize Media Group Ltd., two contracts for Facebook advertising worth roughly $4,700.
The returns also reveal the groupB次元官网网址檚 two main donors are based in Alberta: the Manning Foundation and the pro-oil industry Modern Miracle Network, who together gave a total of $12,000.
McKee says the groupB次元官网网址檚 members have ties to the provincial Progressive Conservative party. His complaint alleges B次元官网网址渢here is evidence of at least once director and another individual affiliated with NB Proud to have actively campaigned for the PCs during the 2018 election campaign.B次元官网网址� However, the complaint doesnB次元官网网址檛 name the people or provide evidence to justify the claim.
A provincial Progressive Conservative party spokesman was not immediately available for comment.
B次元官网网址� By Giuseppe Valiante in Montreal
The Canadian Press
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