Mar 072012
 

The article below from the Hill Times talks about the  computerized data bases used by political parties.

It sounds as though there is something suspect  —
–  A second Conservative MP has confirmed the Conservative Party  provided his campaign with detailed voter identification lists . .

There may not be anything NECESSARILY suspect here.   It depends on a few factors.  If the age of the voter, for example, was provided – where did that information come from?  (Discussed in a later posting – voters were targeted by age.  And this statement,   Mitch Wexler, a Conservative voter-data expert, said political parties can supplement voter registration lists with CENSUS information…” From later postings, it is also the case that the Conservatives have the money to hire a company to do their “voter identification”.

To the extent they can afford, all political parties use computerized data bases.  Individual campaigns may not have the resources to create their own comprehensive voters list; it’s reasonable that it might come from a National Office.

You need the ability to MERGE the Elections Canada Voters List (street address + name)  with Canada411 (phone number) with the Party record (supporter, donor, lawn sign, not a supporter, etc.) This might be legitimate.

What is NOT acceptable is robo-calling used fraudulently and data bases that breach privacy rights.

(Disclosure: I am a Green. I might be envious that we don’t have the resources to create such data bases for our candidates.  (Except that I am uneasy when I see how these merges of data can be done.)  It doesn’t mean that THIS ONE ASPECT (Kramp, a Conservative MP, was supplied with a ‘phenomenal’ tool) should be used for condemnation. There are PLENTY of other important grounds for condemnation!  WHAT INFORMATION was provided, how much,  from where was the information sourced?)

March 7

PARLIAMENT HILL—A second Conservative MP has confirmed  the Conservative Party provided his campaign with detailed voter identification
lists for his electoral district, including telephone numbers, and information  from Elections Canada voter lists, as voting day approached in the federal  election last year.
More at

http://www.hilltimes.com/news/politics/2012/03/07/tories-cims-database-phenonmenal-asset-but-conservative-mp-kramp-says-his/29967?page_requested=1

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