Controversies in the Canadian federal election, 2011
Encyclopedia
This article lists the controversies in the Canadian federal election, 2011.
- Raymond Sturgeon, the ConservativeConservative Party of CanadaThe Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
candidate for the federal riding of Algoma—Manitoulin—KapuskasingAlgoma—Manitoulin—KapuskasingAlgoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 2004...
was until December 2010 a lobbyist for Lockheed Martin AeronauticsLockheed Martin AeronauticsLockheed Martin Aeronautics Company is a major unit of Lockheed Martin with headquarters at Fort Worth, Texas.Lockheed Martin Aeronautics is also based in Marietta, Georgia and Palmdale, California. Palmdale is home to the Advanced Development Programs , informally known as the "Skunk Works"...
, the manufacturer of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fighter plane – which the Canadian government agreed to purchase in July 2010. - A former Conservative Party staffer who is under investigation by the Royal Canadian Mounted PoliceRoyal Canadian Mounted PoliceThe Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
, Sebastien Togneri, was found to be volunteering for Edmonton—StrathconaEdmonton—StrathconaEdmonton—Strathcona is a federal electoral district in Alberta, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1953. It spans the south central part of the city of Edmonton.-Geography:...
Conservative candidate Ryan Hastman. After news of this was released by The Canadian Press, he was removed from the campaign – although his mere involvement in political affairs was criticized by opposition leaders. - Yvon LévesqueYvon LévesqueYvon Lévesque is a Quebec politician. He is the former Bloc Québécois Member of Parliament for the riding of Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou....
, the Bloc Québécois candidate and MP for the riding of Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—EeyouAbitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—EeyouAbitibi and Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou is a federal riding in the province of Quebec, Canada, that have been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1966."Abitibi" was created in 1966, and renamed "Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik"...
, was quoted as saying that "Certain voters will not choose the New Democratic Party now that they're running an aboriginal candidate" – referring to his opponent, New Democratic PartyNew Democratic PartyThe New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
candidate Roméo SaganashRoméo SaganashRomeo Saganash, is a Canadian politician and the Member of Parliament for the Quebec riding of Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou...
who won the election. - Cheryl GallantCheryl GallantCheryl Gallant, MP is a Conservative Canadian politician representing the riding of Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke.-Personal life:...
, the Conservative candidate for Renfrew—Nipissing—PembrokeRenfrew—Nipissing—PembrokeRenfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1979.It is represented by Cheryl Gallant of the Conservative Party....
compared Michael Ignatieff to Libyan dictator GaddafiMuammar GaddafiMuammar Muhammad Abu Minyar Gaddafi or "September 1942" 20 October 2011), commonly known as Muammar Gaddafi or Colonel Gaddafi, was the official ruler of the Libyan Arab Republic from 1969 to 1977 and then the "Brother Leader" of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from 1977 to 2011.He seized power in a...
. She later apologized. - On March 18, Mark StrahlMark StrahlMark Strahl is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the Canadian House of Commons in the 2011 election. He represents the electoral district of Chilliwack—Fraser Canyon as a member of the Conservative Party...
(son of incumbent Conservative MP Chuck StrahlChuck StrahlCharles Strahl, PC, MP was a politician in British Columbia, Canada. He was a Member of Parliament in the governing Conservative Party of Canada.-Before politics:...
) was nominated as the candidate in his father's riding of Chilliwack—Fraser CanyonChilliwack—Fraser CanyonChilliwack—Fraser Canyon is a federal electoral district in the province of British Columbia, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 2004.-Geography:...
. The nomination process, which is usually four weeks, lasted only a week. During the nomination Mark Strahl was endorsed by Preston ManningPreston ManningErnest Preston Manning, CC is a Canadian politician. He was the only leader of the Reform Party of Canada, a Canadian federal political party that evolved into the Canadian Alliance...
, who said "Mark Strahl – by virtue of his family background... is well prepared for service in the House of Commons." This was criticized by members of the Conservative party: former Chilliwack city councillor Casey Langbroek said most Conservative party members from the riding were upset, and Alex MoensAlex MoensAlexander Moens is a professor of Political Science at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver and a Senior Fellow at the Fraser Institute in the Centre for Canadian-American Relations. He teaches American Foreign Policy and the Political and Security Relations between Europe and North America. He is...
said "High public office should not be like a family businessNepotismNepotism is favoritism granted to relatives regardless of merit. The word nepotism is from the Latin word nepos, nepotis , from which modern Romanian nepot and Italian nipote, "nephew" or "grandchild" are also descended....
, where it's passed on from father to son." - At a tightly controlled event aimed at immigrant communities in BramptonBramptonBrampton is the third-largest city in the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario, Canada.Brampton may also refer to:- Canada :* Brampton, a city in Ontario** Brampton GO Station, a station in the GO Transit network located in the city- United Kingdom :...
, OntarioOntarioOntario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Harper used the phrase "you people" to attendees, implying they were categorically different from he or his party or government. Ignatieff and Layton immediately criticized Harper and pointed to his record of reducing family reunification quotas for immigration, and criminal justice policies that disadvantage non-white populations. - Two veterans, including Jim Lowther of the Veterans Emergency Transition Team were not permitted to enter a Harper Halifax news conference nor even watch his speech.
- During a Conservative rally in London, OntarioLondon, OntarioLondon is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
an RCMP officer asked two students to leave the event for having supposed ties to the Liberal party. One of the students later complained that the only reason she could think of for being removed was the fact she had a FacebookFacebookFacebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
profile photo showing her posing for a picture with Michael Ignatieff, after having previously attended an NDP and Liberal rally. Their forced removal was immediately criticized by both Jack Layton and Ignatieff. - On April 6, André Forbes, the Liberal candidate for the rural Quebec riding of ManicouaganManicouagan (electoral district)Manicouagan is a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1968.The riding was created in 1966 from parts of Charlevoix and Saguenay ridings....
, was criticized by the NDP for calling First Nations and Innu people "featherheads," as well as being the founder of the white supremacist group l’Association des Droits des Blancs (literally the Association for White Rights), despite being MétisMétis people (Canada)The Métis are one of the Aboriginal peoples in Canada who trace their descent to mixed First Nations parentage. The term was historically a catch-all describing the offspring of any such union, but within generations the culture syncretised into what is today a distinct aboriginal group, with...
himself. Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff stated that he was "shocked" by the Forbes comments and that "if he really said that, it's not possible to remain a candidate for the Liberal Party of Canada". Later the same day, Ignatieff announced that Forbes was no longer the Liberal candidate for Manicouagan. While Forbes remained on the ballot as a Liberal, he would not have been allowed to sit with the Liberal caucus had he won. - Liberal Party leader Michael Ignatieff's wife, Zsuzsanna Zsohar, came under attack from conservative lobby group National Citizens CoalitionNational Citizens CoalitionThe National Citizens Coalition is a Canadian conservative lobby group that campaigns against public services, trade unions, and in favour of smaller government and lower taxes. Incorporated in Ontario in 1975, the NCC was founded by insurance agent Colin M. Brown, who began an advertising...
president Peter Coleman over the fact that she is not yet a Canadian citizen, and will therefore be unable to vote for her husband on May 2. Zsohar explained in the interview that she, like any other immigrant arriving in Canada, was waiting in line for her Citizenship application to be accepted and that the campaign was not about her. - The Conservative Party came under heavy fire on April 11 when a draft report for the G8 summit was leaked to the Canadian Press, which indicated that the Tories misled the Parliament of Canada to seek approval for $50 million tax dollars to be spread on dubious projects, which over half of it was spent on the riding of Parry Sound—MuskokaParry Sound—MuskokaParry Sound—Muskoka is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1949....
– Tony Clement's riding. It prompted calls from the other leaders to release the report now, but the Auditor General of Canada, Sheila Fraser, told reporters the rules forbid her to release it because she has to release it to the Speaker of the House of Commons. - A Green Party candidate, Alan Saldanha, resigned after making a rapeRapeRape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
comment on FacebookFacebookFacebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
. Saldanha, running for a seat in BC's Fleetwood—Port KellsFleetwood—Port KellsFleetwood—Port Kells is a federal electoral district in the province of British Columbia, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 2004.-Geography:...
riding, has since removed the comment. - Two Conservative riding association members (Richard Lorello and Tracey Kent) quit their own riding association in VaughanVaughan (electoral district)Vaughan is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 2004.The riding covers the fast-growing region of Vaughan north of Toronto....
after money was earmarked for the Vaughan Health Campus of Care (VHCC), which has two key fund-raisers for incumbent Tory candidate Julian FantinoJulian FantinoJulian Fantino is a retired police official and the elected Member of the Parliament of Canada for the riding of Vaughan following a November 29, 2010 by-election...
as backers. Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff responded to the incident, saying that "it doesn’t sit well, it doesn’t look right, it doesn’t feel right and Conservatives themselves are embarrassed by it." - Canadian Arab FederationCanadian Arab FederationThe Canadian Arab Federation was formed in 1967 to represent the interests of Arab Canadians with respect to the formulation of public policy in Canada. It presently consists of over 40 member organizations....
president Khaled Mouamar received an email from Etobicoke Centre Conservative campaign staffer Zeljko Zidaric asking him if he had any groups that would like to participate in a Conservative rally "by having someone at the event in an ethnic costume". The email further elaborated that they wanted them for a "photo-op about all the multicultural groups that support Ted OpitzTed OpitzTed Opitz, CD is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the Canadian House of Commons in the 2011 election. He represents the electoral district of Etobicoke Centre as a member of the Conservative Party....
our local Conservative candidate and the Prime Minister." Mouamar took offence to the email. A counter rally was made to protest the email. - Conservative candidate Gavan Paranchothy (previously known as Ragavan Paranchothy), who is running in the riding of Scarborough SouthwestScarborough SouthwestScarborough Southwest is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons.On Toronto City Council, the southeast portion is represented by Gary Crawford. The northwest section is represented by Michelle Berardinetti.-Geography:It covers the...
, has in the past praised the Tamil Tiger movement, including hosting a televised tribute to the Tamil Tigers in November 2010. When questioned about the candidate Conservative leader Stephen Harper simply stated that his party has "taken a strong position against the Tamil Tigers", but did not comment specifically about the candidate. - One-term Penticton city councillor Dan AlbasDan AlbasDan Albas is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the Canadian House of Commons in the 2011 election. He represents the electoral district of Okanagan—Coquihalla as a member of the Conservative Party...
was nominated as the Conservative Party candidate in Okanagan—CoquihallaOkanagan—CoquihallaOkanagan—Coquihalla is a federal electoral district in the province of British Columbia, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1997.-Geography:...
, the riding of Stockwell DayStockwell DayStockwell Burt Day, Jr., PC, MP is a former Canadian politician, and a member of the Conservative Party of Canada. He is a former cabinet minister in Alberta, and a former leader of the Canadian Alliance. Day was MP for the riding of Okanagan—Coquihalla in British Columbia and the president of...
, the former Canadian AllianceCanadian AllianceThe Canadian Alliance , formally the Canadian Reform Conservative Alliance , was a Canadian conservative political party that existed from 2000 to 2003. The party was the successor to the Reform Party of Canada and inherited its position as the Official Opposition in the House of Commons and held...
leader and president of the Treasury Board. The nomination process lasted only a week, causing at least five prospective candidates not to make the nomination deadline. Albas and the two other candidates who managed to file their paperwork in time were both close associates of Stockwell Day and are alleged to have had prior notification of Day's surprise resignation. The process was criticized by members of the Conservative party including Day's fundraising chair, who says he ripped up his Conservative Party membership card. One of the candidates who missed the deadline, party veteran Sean Upshaw, is running as an 'independent conservative' candidate in the riding. - The Conservative Party alleged that a special ballot held at the University of GuelphUniversity of GuelphThe University of Guelph, also known as U of G, is a comprehensive public research university in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. It was established in 1964 after the amalgamation of Ontario Agricultural College, the Macdonald Institute, and the Ontario Veterinary College...
on April 13, 2011 could in fact be illegal under the Canada Elections Act, claiming that partisan election material was present. Elections CanadaElections CanadaElections Canada is an independent, non-partisan agency reporting directly to the Parliament of Canada. Its ongoing responsibility is to ensure that Canadians can exercise their choices in federal elections and referenda through an open and impartial process...
, who are responsible for enforcing the act, responded that the ballots were legal. The action by the Conservatives, especially after allegations that a party volunteer attempted to grab the ballot box in an attempt to halt the voting, was criticised by the opposition parties who accused the Conservatives of discouraging youth from voting. - Conservative candidate Wally Daudrich had posted on his FacebookFacebookFacebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
page that Barack ObamaBarack ObamaBarack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
was the "worst president that America has ever had" as well as "the biggest lying president America has ever had". His comments were primarily motivated by the candidate's stance on abortionAbortionAbortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
, with him being against certain aspects of the President's health-care reform billPatient Protection and Affordable Care ActThe Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is a United States federal statute signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010. The law is the principal health care reform legislation of the 111th United States Congress...
. After his post became widely publicized he deleted the comment. Conservative leader Stephen Harper refused to admonish the candidate, stating instead that he and Obama "have a very good working relationship". - Brad TrostBrad TrostBradley Ryan "Brad" Trost is a Conservative Member of Parliament in the Canadian House of Commons, representing the riding of Saskatoon—Humboldt....
, the Conservative incumbent for Saskatoon—HumboldtSaskatoon—HumboldtSaskatoon—Humboldt is a federal electoral district in Saskatchewan, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1968 to 1979, and since 1988.-Geography:...
, spoke at a Saskatchewan Pro-life Association convention and told the audience that the government had denied funding to Planned Parenthood. Prime Minister Stephen HarperStephen HarperStephen Joseph Harper is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became prime minister when his party formed a minority government after the 2006 federal election...
did not comment on Trost's remarks, instead stating that the Conservative Party does not intend to reopen the abortion debateAbortion debateThe abortion debate refers to discussion and controversy surrounding the moral and legal status of abortion. The two main groups involved in the abortion debate are the self-described "pro-choice" movement and the "pro-life" movement...
in Parliament. - Conservative Candidate Wai YoungWai YoungWai Young is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the Canadian House of Commons in the 2011 election. She represents the electoral district of Vancouver South as a member of the Conservative Party of Canada.-Early life:...
(Vancouver SouthVancouver SouthVancouver South is a federal electoral district in British Columbia, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1917 to 1997, and since 2004. It covers the southern portion of the city of Vancouver, British Columbia....
) came under fire for being endorsed by the man acquitted in the Air India bombing, Ripudaman Singh Malik, Young said she had no idea that Malik was involved with the Khalsa School. - Conservatives condemned a Liberal television ad which wrongly quoted Harper saying he would scrap the Canada Health ActCanada Health ActThe Canada Health Act is a piece of Canadian federal legislation, adopted in 1984, which specifies the conditions and criteria with which the provincial and territorial health insurance programs must conform in order to receive federal transfer payments under the Canada Health Transfer...
. This was actually a quote from a National Citizens CoalitionNational Citizens CoalitionThe National Citizens Coalition is a Canadian conservative lobby group that campaigns against public services, trade unions, and in favour of smaller government and lower taxes. Incorporated in Ontario in 1975, the NCC was founded by insurance agent Colin M. Brown, who began an advertising...
colleague of Harper's. The Liberals replaced the quote, which they had found misattributed to Harper in a Globe and Mail story, with another one of Harper's statements about health care that they said delivered the same message. - Michael Ignatieff criticized Conservative candidates for not attending local debates. Later Ignatieff said that he would not attend the debates in his riding because of his duties to campaign nationally as party leader. Stephen Harper also will not be attending any debates in his riding, because he'll be campaigning nationally.
- A Liberal campaign volunteer for Joe VolpeJoe VolpeGiuseppe Joseph "Joe" Volpe, PC, was a Canadian politician. He was a Liberal member of the Canadian House of Commons from 1988 until the 2011 federal election, being surpassed by the conservative member Joe Oliver Joe Oliver, and held two senior positions in Prime Minister Paul Martin's Cabinet...
in Eglinton—LawrenceEglinton—LawrenceEglinton—Lawrence is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1979, and in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since 1999....
was caught on camera removing Green Party pamphlets from mailboxes, throwing them away, and replacing them with Liberal campaign materials, as Volpe looked on. Tampering with mail is a criminal offence in Canada. Volpe has since fired the worker, but only after being caught on camera standing next to the worker as he committed these actions. - On April 29, 2011, a retired police officer told the Sun News Network and the Toronto SunToronto SunThe Toronto Sun is an English-language daily tabloid newspaper published in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is known for its daily Sunshine Girl feature and for what it sees as a populist conservative editorial stance.-History:...
newspaper that in 1996, Layton had been found naked in a massage parlour when police, looking for underage Asian hookers, raided the establishment. The police informed Layton of the potentially questionable use of the business and recommended that he avoid it in the future. No charges were laid. The Sun later ran a follow-up piece, in which Toronto city councillor Giorgio MammolitiGiorgio MammolitiGiorgio Mammoliti is a city councillor in Toronto, Canada for Ward 7 York West, representing one of the two York West wards. He is Chair of the Affordable Housing Committee and a member of the mayor's executive committee. Previously, he served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario...
criticized Layton. Layton has said there was no wrongdoing in the matter, saying that he simply "went for a massage at a community clinic" and did not return after the police advised him not to. He also referred to the release of the police report as a smear campaignSmear campaignA smear campaign, smear tactic or simply smear is a metaphor for activity that can harm an individual or group's reputation by conflation with a stigmatized group...
against him. Bloc QuébécoisBloc QuébécoisThe Bloc Québécois is a federal political party in Canada devoted to the protection of Quebec's interests in the House of Commons of Canada, and the promotion of Quebec sovereignty. The Bloc was originally a party made of Quebec nationalists who defected from the federal Progressive Conservative...
leader Gilles DuceppeGilles DuceppeGilles Duceppe is a Canadian politician, and proponent of the Québec sovereignty movement. He was a Member of Parliament in the Canadian House of Commons for over 20 years and was the leader of the sovereigntist Bloc Québécois for almost 15 years. He is the son of a well-known Quebec actor, Jean...
has also dismissed the claim. A subsequent Toronto StarToronto StarThe Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
column stated that most contributors to online discussions agreed there was a smear campaign against Layton. As for political damage from this story, that same day's update of the Nanos Leadership Index, which assesses public opinion on the Canadian federal leaders’ trustworthiness, competence and vision for Canada, Layton rose from 80% to 97%, surpassing Harper at 88% and Ignatieff 39%. The polling company speculated this improvement is due to strong sympathy by the public for a political candidate they judged as being unfairly maligned. Toronto PoliceToronto Police ServiceThe Toronto Police Service , formerly the Metropolitan Toronto Police, is the police service for the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the largest municipal police service in Canada and second largest police force in Canada after the Royal Canadian Mounted Police...
have launched an investigation into how official police notes were leaked to Sun Media. Police notebooks are closely guarded and may contain unfounded and unproven allegations.