HALIFAX — Nova Scotia's chief electoral officer has called in the RCMP to help her investigate the provincial Liberal party's conduct in the campaign leading up to a byelection Tuesday.
Dorothy Rice issued a statement Thursday saying the Liberals ignored an order she issued this week requiring the party to remove all signs and campaign materials that contain false statements that suggest a plan is in the works to establish a dump in the riding of Preston.
Under the order, the signs and flyers had to be removed by Thursday morning, but Rice said that didn't happen. She said Liberal candidate Carlo Simmons and the Liberal Party refused to comply with her order.
Simmons' campaign manager, Ray Anjoul, issued a statement saying the candidate and the Nova Scotia Liberal party "stand by all statements about the potential dump" in the Lake Echo area.
"This is a disappointing move from the government and Elections Nova Scotia in an attempt to suppress political discourse about a real and important issue, days before the election," the statement says.
Rice said she has started a formal investigation under the provincial Elections Act, which could lead to a referral to provincial prosecutors. Elections Nova Scotia must ensure that all campaign messaging is accurate and "truly reflective of the facts," she said.
Under Section 286 of the Elections Act, the chief electoral officer may "engage the services of any person" to help her with a formal investigation.
The province's governing Progressive Conservative party filed a complaint with Elections Nova Scotia on July 28, saying the Liberals' material wrongly asserts that Premier Tim Houston is doing nothing to stop the plan for a dump.
The Tories issued a statement earlier this week saying misleading signs in the Lake Echo area suggested a dump was being proposed for the community. As well, the party cited Liberal campaign literature that said the provincial environment minister had ignored a letter about the issue written by Simmons.
"The reality is there was no application to the provincial government for a dump in the Lake Echo area, and the minister … ensured a response was provided by the department to the Liberal candidate's letter on this matter," the Tories said.
Barbara Adams, head of the Tory campaign in Preston, said the Liberals were resorting to fearmongering for political gain.
"We knew the Liberals were misleading the public on this issue and are pleased Elections Nova Scotia has ordered them (the signs) to be removed," Adams said in a statement.
"The Liberals are clearly anxious to hold onto this seat that they have held for 20 years and are willing to do anything, including mislead the voters of the Preston riding, in an attempt to keep it.”
Five candidates are running to replace Liberal Angela Simmonds, who stepped down in April.
The standings in the 55-seat legislature are 31 Progressive Conservatives, 16 Liberals, six New Democrats, one Independent and one vacancy.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 3, 2023.
Michael MacDonald, The Canadian Press
