Today is a key date so far as the financing goes for those who ran for the Liberal leadership. Those leadership contestants must have either paid off their debts today or filed some details with Elections Canada about the nature of their outstanding debts and provide a plan and a timeline to pay off those debts.
Some leadership contestants, notably the guy who won, Stephane Dion, have not yet paid off their debts. The Liberal's political opponents believe there is some hay to be made of this fact. You may soon see, in fact, some political advertising from the Conservatives or others about this fact.
The Liberals put out their own press release today trying to undo some of the spin they expect their opponents to foist upon reporters and the public.
Here are two scrums in the House of Commons foyer today from those opponents. One is Pierre Poilievre (click on the image left to view the scrum), the Ottawa-area Conservative MP who is also the Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board. You'll notice in Polievre's scrum that he is sticking to his talking points, talking points which very much attack Dion. Reporters are keen to get Poilievre to more carefully explain or back up some of his statements but Polievre, by and large, does not do that.
NDP MP Pat Martin (click on the image right) takes a slightly different tact. He is attacking “loopholes” in election financing laws and believes Elections Canada itself is to blame. By inference, though, Martin is also attacking the Liberals but in a more roundabout way.
Technorati Tags: election finances, Pat Martin, Pierre Poilievre
It would appear that the legislation allows for extensions but only with a game plan for repayment clearly outlined. Therefore if an extension is granted then EC needs to ensure that the public is made aware of the specific repayment plan of each leadership candidate including Dion.
Failing to do that will ensure that the public will believe there is preferential treatement being given to the Liberal party.
Once the game plan is revealed and approved by EC then it is up to EC to follow to ensure the plan is being bet via quarterly reports etc. sufficient to satisfy themselves (EC) that there is no undue delay being perpetrated by the leadership candidates.
If the candidates do not follow the plan the loans should be considered as donations and whatever penalties that entails should be meated out.
While I recognize the rules are tough it is imperative that all parties follow them and if changes to the legislation need to be made then that is what should happen.
However, it is a problem when people like Dion who I assume is not a wealthy man borrows money from rich people to finance his leadership campaign and has no idea how he is going to repay the loan after he has either won or lost the leadership race.
I encountered some “technical difficulties” with the videos. Shown through QuickTime on my computer (an iMac). The video starts and stops after a few seconds.
Also, the comment verification box showed a previous entry there. Never happened before. ??