Shadowy pro-Tory group exploiting weak third-party election spending rules in Manitoba

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 08/06/2023 (877 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Manitoba needs more robust third-party election spending rules. The case of a largely unknown pro-conservative group flooding Manitobans’ cell phones this week with political messages and buying billboard ads is a perfect example why.

Manitoba does have third-party election spending rules. They’re laid out in the Election Financing Act. But they’re limited.

Under the legislation, a third party must register with the province’s chief electoral officer if they spend $2,500 or more on “election communications” during an election period (or in the 90 days leading up to an election period). That includes broadcast and print ads, billboards (and other public spaces, including buses and benches) and internet advertising.

Third parties, either an individual or a group, are supposed to provide the CEO with information about themselves, including their name, or the name of the organization and who runs it. Following the election, third parties are required to fill out a form showing how much they spent and where they spent it.

There are spending limits: $25,000 during an election period and $100,000 during the 90-day pre-election period.

Despite that, third parties are still able to operate largely under the radar.

A case in point: a pro-conservative group that calls itself the Canada Growth Council has been text-messaging Manitobans this week with anti-NDP propaganda. The messages, among other things, attack party leader Wab Kinew and claim, without evidence, that the party would flood the streets with illegal drugs if elected in the upcoming provincial election, slated for Oct. 3.

The group also bought space on at least one billboard on Portage Avenue across from Polo Park shopping centre.

The public knows very little about this organization. It’s listed as a “partner” with the Canada Strong and Free Network, an interest group based in Calgary that promotes so-called conservative values. Its board is listed on the group’s website. The board chair is Michael Binnion, president of Questerre Energy, an oil and gas company in Quebec.

However, the identity of those behind the Canada Growth Council is less clear. There are no directors listed on its website and no address. They claim to promote “centre-right policies in Canada,” including free enterprise, small government and low taxes.

“The Canada Growth Council is a group of motivated individuals that are simply fed up with anti-growth propaganda, foreign-funded activist groups, and the absence of strong voices that advocate on behalf of free-enterprise and prosperity in Canada,” it states online.

Some reports have claimed they receive funding from a religious organization.

But who are they? Where do they live? Do any of them live in Manitoba? Who funds them? And why are they interested in affecting the outcome of a Manitoba election? These are important questions in a democracy where preserving the integrity of elections is paramount.

They’re not the only third party trying to influence voters in the upcoming election. The Manitoba Nurses’ Union, for example, has signs and billboards plastered all over the city decrying the state of health care in the province under the Progressive Conservative government. The union is urging Manitobans to “vote like your life depends on it.”

However, we know who the union is and how it’s funded. MNU’s board is listed online and its president Darlene Jackson is regularly quoted in the media.

Their members live and work in Manitoba; they have skin in the game. If they advertise something objectionable or factually wrong, the public and their members can hold them accountable.

So far, the only group listed as a third party on Elections Manitoba’s website for the 2023 election is the Manitoba Government and General Employees’ Union. We know who they are, too, and how they’re funded.

But we know almost nothing about the Canada Growth Council. That’s a problem.

Legislative changes are needed to address that. For starters, the pre-election period should be longer — a year at least. If a group or person wants to influence an election with advertising or text messaging, they should be subject to a spending limit at least a year before a fixed election date.

They should also be required to register with Elections Manitoba beforehand, with full details of who they are (including names and their home province) and details about their source of funding. To be a qualified third party advertiser, they should have to demonstrate some connection to Manitoba, such as a membership base, office space, etc.

Once approved by Elections Manitoba, that information should be immediately posted online so the public is aware of who is attempting to influence the outcome of an election.

With today’s technology and the threat of foreign interference in elections, we need better protection and control around who we allow to participate in the electoral process.

tom.brodbeck@freepress.mb.ca