Court rules against Tories on campaign spending
Posted Mar 2, 2011 04:14:07 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
OTTAWA – A Federal Court ruling on election expenses guts the Conservatives’ defence of top party officials facing charges of wilfully overspending.
The ruling confirms Elections Canada’s view of the law and says it was reasonable for the electoral watchdog to reject the way the Conservatives reported national advertising expenses for the 2006 election.
The government had questioned why Elections Canada was pursuing charges on a matter that had already been settled in the civil suit.
Even shortly before the appeal ruling became public, Harper told the Commons the dispute was about a difference of opinion on the Elections Act.
Elections Canada maintains the scheme allowed the national party to exceed its spending limit by more than 1 (m) million dollars.
A spokesman for the elections watchdog says the decision preserves the integrity of the political financing regime and ensures fairness.
A Conservative spokesman says the party will be appealing the ruling.
