ConCalls: Cutbacks

Investigating election crimes is hard work, but someone has to do it. Elections Canada in particular has to do it, and in theory they are conducting an investigation into illegal phone calls of all sorts made in 2011. The Conservatives are trying their best to slow that hard work down. Yes, that looks bad, because it is. It also looks bad when their spokesmuppet , Dean Del Mastro, is staring down an investigation into apparent criminal overspending, fraud, and illegal donations related to his 2008 campaign.

Those Harper Conservatives do not lack in chutzpah. The party pleaded guilty to breaking campaign spending laws in 2006 after an Elections Canada investigation. The result: an inconsequential fine.

Now they are under a dark cloud of suspicion as evidence leads many reasonable people to suspect the Conservative political machine of electoral fraud in the 2011 election.

Elections Canada has been criticized for lacking the clout and manpower for a proper investigation. It is also noted for a lack of transparency.

We need an independent inquiry with teeth. We need transparency and the rule of law.

Instead the Harper Conservatives cut Elections Canada funding by $7.5 mil-lion per year, effective immediately. Apparently they are not the least bit worried about how this might look.

Kelly Ip
Richmond, BC

If more people see this news, and enough people start to worry, then their lies will start to catch up with them. We have to have a cutback on apathy.