ConCalls: It’s the Liberals Calling, No Wait, Conservatives?

RoboCalls were not the only illegal voter suppression strategy used against non-Conservative voters last general election. There was also someone or some party paying big money for live-calls purporting to be from Liberals. Listen to one such call that was caught on voice mail, in London West.

Then, on the afternoon of April 11, a phone in Volpe’s own campaign phone bank rang. Volunteer Marsha Sands described the call in an affidavit.

“I picked it up and said hello several times. No voice responded but I could hear voices in the background. I then said, ‘Hello, speak please. You’ve called me.’

“A female voice, soft and young-sounding, said, ‘Are you going to vote for Joe Volpe in the up and coming election?’ I responded, ‘Who are you? Where are you calling from?’ several times.

“The caller said, ‘The Conservatives.’ I said ‘What? Who are you?’ Response: ‘Um, we are conducting a survey.’ ”

The caller asked if Sands would like a Volpe lawn sign and hung up when Sands pressed her to identify herself. Sands said she could hear muffled coaching and other voices in the background.

Volpe’s staff found the number that received the strange call had belonged to a Liberal supporter before it was assigned to the campaign.

Across the country, other campaigns were getting similar reports: fake Liberals calls. The call display often showed a North Dakota telephone number — 701-509-8703 — which Internet message boards show is often used for fraudulent credit card scams.

Do you wonder why I suspect the only party already convicted of serious Elections Act violations, is behind these illegal calls in some manner?

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Hat tip Sixth Estate

UPDATE TO ADD: In the space of time between when I wrote this and set it to be published, Lori Bruce of Fredericton was vaulted to national fame by appearing on The National with information about her basic investigation from April ’11. It doesn’t look good for the CPC in Halifax.