Canada PoliticsConservative Party accuses CBC of “shoddy journalism” over secret fund story
It's not everyday a governing party lashes out against the media.
It's even rarer to see them chide the public broadcaster.
On Thursday, CBC News' Greg Weston produced a report claiming that there was a secret million dollar Conservative Party fund that Nigel Wright had exclusive signing authority on. The story, featured on "The National" with Peter Mansbridge suggested that only a few insiders knew how the cash was spent and that the fund was off limits to the auditor general and even Elections Canada.
[ Related: Five questions about the Conservative Party’s 'secret fund' ]
In a statement released, on Friday morning, Conservative Party spokesperson Fred DeLorey said the story just isn't true.
Last night, the CBC ran a false story by reporter Greg Weston.
The CBC claimed there is a "secret" Conservative Party fund run by the PMO.
This is false.
The CBC claimed party funds are hidden from Elections Canada.
This is false.
All Conservative Party expenses are paid by one account, controlled by the Conservative Party. All funds are properly reported to Elections Canada and audited annually.
The Conservative Party ensures that non-government activities undertaken by the Prime Minister are never billed to taxpayers.
The CBC is being selective, failing to mention this is a standard practice for all political parties.
The NDP and the Liberals confirmed they also maintain funds to cover expenses that should not be charged to taxpayers.
· "There is a fund which is used for party-related leader travel and expenses," said Nathan Rotman, NDP national director. (Postmedia, June 6, 2013)
· Liberal party spokesperson Kate Monfette said the party pays for expenses for its leader that are "strictly partisan in nature" and unrelated to parliamentary duties "so as to ensure the separation between parliamentary activities and political activities." (Postmedia, June 6, 2013)
No Conservative Party funds were used to repay Mike Duffy's inappropriate expenses. No taxpayer funds were used. Nigel Wright was not reimbursed by anyone. We cannot be clearer on this point.
The CBC, Peter Mansbridge and Greg Weston misled Canadians. They should retract this piece of shoddy journalism.
In an email to Yahoo! Canada News, DeLorey reiterated that there's no 'secret' account but that party funds are used to pay for non-government activities undertaken by the Prime Minister.
"There is no separate account," he wrote.
"There is only one. The CBC story is false."
[ Related: Is the Harper government trying to control the CBC? ]
CBC responded to the DeLorey's missive on Friday afternoon saying that they stand by their story.
The party had no such denials [about the alleged secret fund] on Tuesday when CBC sent Conservative spokesman Fred DeLorey an email asking for details about "the special discretionary CPC [Conservative Party of Canada] fund controlled by the PM's chief of staff," notes the response posted at CBC.ca.
The party's denial two days after the exchange of emails makes a number of other claims not supported by fact.
For example: "The CBC claimed party funds are hidden from Elections Canada. This is false."
In fact, Elections Canada does not oversee any political party expenditures outside an election period."
Meanwhile, on Friday, the NDP wrote a letter to Elections Canada asking if the Conservative Party has broken any rules with to the elections act.
That letter can be seen here.
(Photo courtesy of the Canadian Press)
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