Former Reform Party leader Preston Manning accused Liberal Leader Mark Carney of offering “unethical bribes” in the form of boosts to CBC’s funding and taxpayer rebates while on the campaign trail.
In a memo written to Canada’s ethics watchdog, former Reform Party leader Preston Manning accused Liberal Leader Mark Carney of offering “unethical bribes” in the form of boosts to CBC’s funding and taxpayer rebates while on the campaign trail.
Manning wrote to Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner Konrad Von Finckenstein asking for an official opinion on two of Carney’s latest spending promises.
The first issue raised was Carney’s pledge to increase CBC’s annual budget by $150 million.
The second concern involved a proposed $4 billion carbon rebate payout to approximately 13 million Canadians, potentially landing in voters’ bank accounts just before the April 28th election.
In his response, the commissioner did not denounce the programs.
“The conflict of interest code for members of the House of Commons does not apply during an election period, as incumbents are no longer considered MPs for the purpose of the Code once Parliament is dissolved.” wrote Von Finckenstein.
“Mr. Carney will be subject to the Code after the election if he is elected as an MP.”
Manning has warned that a failure to address such political tactics could erode public trust in Canada’s democratic institutions.
“Unethical practices are one of the main reasons why citizens are so skeptical about elections, I doubt that the public will be as willing to overlook the unethical nature of the Carney Liberal bribes as the Ethics Commissioner,” Manning told True North.
“What if citizens start setting up Go Bribe Me accounts – will those be overlooked too?”