Tories’ partisan event at legislature broke election rules: report

Manitoba’s elections commissioner has found the Progressive Conservatives broke election laws by conducting a partisan event in the Golden Boy Room at the legislature in 2023.

Commissioner Bill Bowles launched an investigation in relation to an event in May of that year, in which the Tories were accused of making “explicitly partisan remarks” during a speaking engagement with University of Manitoba students.

His report, released Thursday, says the party applied to host a speaking engagement in the Golden Boy Room. The space can be reserved free of charge by people with permanent offices in the legislature, but the rules prohibit campaigning in the legislature.

Former premier Heather Stefanson and former cabinet minister Sarah Guillemard were listed as the speakers on the event application, but the PC caucus allowed the co-chair and campaign director of the party’s 2023 election campaign to address the students. They encouraged them to become involved with the Tory campaign.

Guillemard told the Free Press that, although her name was included on the application form, she was informed before the event that she was no longer needed and therefore did not attend.

“I did not provide any remarks. Nor was I part of changing the nature and intent of the event,” she said.

About two weeks after the event, the clerk of the executive council wrote to the PC caucus director to advise him the event did not conform to the proposal outlined in the event application, Bowles concluded.

A memorandum was sent to all occupants of the legislature to remind them of the guidelines that prevent the use of government-managed facilities for election campaigning or partisan purposes.

Guidelines were also amended to expressly prohibit party fundraising, party meetings and other related activities.

“The PC Caucus booked the room and allowed the PC party to use it for campaign purposes. In my opinion, that was a property or service provided free of charge provided by the PC Caucus to the PC Party and, because the caucus is not an individual, it was an illegal contribution,” Bowles wrote.

The commissioner recommended the PC party work with government staff to determine fair market value of what it would cost to rent the Golden Boy Room, and then pay that amount to the government as compensation.

In an email statement, a spokesperson for the PC Party said they are reviewing the ruling, and “will conduct ourselves within the parameters of the decision.”

The New Democrats used the report to take aim at the Tories.

“This is another example of the corrupt PCs thinking the rules don’t apply to them,” NDP provincial secretary Evan Krosney said in a news release.

“They illegally used public space for partisan campaigning and accepted an illegal contribution. This isn’t the first time they’ve broken the law, and it won’t be the last unless they’re held accountable.”

tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca