A few minutes ago, the Conservatives issues the following release:
Statement by Conservative Member of Parliament Dean Del Mastro on harassing and misleading phone calls during the 2011 federal campaign
“The Conservative Party is calling on anyone with any information about harassing calls or calls giving inaccurate poll information to come clean immediately and hand it over to Elections Canada.
My own campaign in Peterborough was the victim of dirty tricks phone calls, with Conservative supporters harassed by late night abusive calls, and our Party condemns these acts. We are providing this information to Elections Canada.
We call on Elections Canada to investigate and get to the bottom of this as quickly as possible so the truth is known.”
The cynical might wonder:
a) When Del Mastro says “We are providing this information to Elections Canada”, what information is he referring to?
b) Did Del Mastro file complaints or go public with these complaints back in May, after the election?
There is is this, from the Peterborough Examiner of May 4, 2011, in which Del Mastro takes responsibility for some phone call funny business his Liberal competitor claimed was aimed at him: Automated calls not a prank against Leal.