PCs want probe of alleged NDP blackout breach

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The Progressive Conservative party has asked Manitoba’s elections commissioner to investigate an NDP cabinet minister’s comments, which it says broke the election blackout law.

PC party president Brent Pooles accused Municipal Relations Minister Ian Bushie of violating the Election Financing Act when he announced $300,000 in Green Team funding for community groups two days after the Tuxedo byelection was called.

“This is a clear attempt to announce new funding to influence a byelection by advertising government spending,” Pooles said in a letter to elections commissioner Bill Bowles.

The nature of the new funding violates the act that stipulates a government department must not advertise information about programs or activities during the election blackout period, the letter said.

The NDP dismissed the complaint by saying MLAs’ speech in the chamber is not subject to the blackout rules.

The party issued a statement late Wednesday that said, “parliamentary privilege is a fundamental tenet of our democracy.”

If that’s the case, the lone Liberal in the legislature wants the government to speak up in the house and tell parents whether they plan to make good on a promise of $10/day child care for school-age kids this summer.

“It just feels like they’re playing games with us a little bit and taking advantage of the election, and whether they want to or don’t want to speak,” MLA Cindy Lamoureux said in an interview.

Parents have contacted her constituency office asking if the government will roll out the expanded child-care program this summer that was promised in the budget.

Last week, the Liberal leader asked Early Childhood Learning Minister Nello Altomare about it during question period but did not receive any clarification. The minister’s office said at the time it’s prevented by the byelection blackout rules from saying anything else.

A similar response was given when asked about a $300 security rebate Manitobans were promised in June. A spokesperson for Justice Minister Matt Wiebe said the department couldn’t confirm the date of the rollout due to election blackout rules.

“I think they’re using it as an excuse to either uplift what they are doing, or not have to put anything on record if they don’t want to admit to anything,” Lamoureux said.

“I think they’re using it as an excuse to either uplift what they are doing, or not have to put anything on record if they don’t want to admit to anything.”–MLA Cindy Lamoureux

Although the law includes exemptions for cabinet ministers to make announcements, it doesn’t apply when government resources are used to publish or spread content, Pooles noted in his letter.

Bushie’s May 22 comments in the house are still available and distributed by the legislative assembly’s digital broadcast archives, Pooles wrote.

The minister could’ve met with the organizations one-on-one to tell them they would receive some of the $300,000, but instead announced it publicly during question period, and in a manner that is distributed using government resources, Pooles wrote.

One of the Tuxedo-headquartered groups that is not receiving any of the funding thinks the whole episode reflects poorly on the government.

“I think it looks bad on the NDP,” said Camp Massad executive director Danial Sprintz.

“I’ve just spent the last two days mowing lawns and vacuuming swimming pools and cleaning kitchens and doing work that I would have Green Team people doing right now,” Sprintz said Wednesday by phone from the Jewish summer camp in the Interlake.

“As an executive director without staff, it’s my job now.”

Sprintz said he’s not alone, and hopes the government will re-evaluate the Green Team funding to provide more than the additional $300,000.

Several youth and community groups criticized the government this month after learning they would get little or no money from the program, which covers the cost of hiring youth for summer positions across the province.

The province had earmarked $5.9 million for this summer, down from $9.6 million spent in 2023 by the former Tory government.

The Tuxedo byelection is on June 18.

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca