COnservatives under fire for spending.
One for the hypocracy watch. From The Liberal Party of Canada:
Liberal Party of Canada files complaint over CPC finances
July 21, 2006
Ottawa - The Liberal Party of Canada today sent letters to Elections Canada and the Canada Revenue Agency formally requesting investigations into the Conservative Party of Canada 2005 convention.
The two letters are as follows:
Friday, July 21, 2006
Raymond Landry
Commissioner of Canada Elections
Elections Canada
Denis Meunier
Director General, Compliance Programs Branch
Investigations Directorate
Canada Revenue Agency
Re: Improper Treatment of Delegate Fees for Conservative Party of Canada Conventions
Dear Sirs:
We wish to bring to your attention that the Conservative Party of Canada may be treating delegate registration fees to its functions improperly and in contravention of the Canada Elections Act and the Income Tax Act. We ask that you investigate what, if true, would include millions of dollars of unreported and undisclosed contributions to the Conservative Party of Canada.
Delegate Registration Fees:
We understand that the Conservative Party has not treated any portion of delegate registration fees as a contribution to the Conservative Party and, therefore, has not issued income tax receipts or receipts required under the Canada Elections Act for any portion of such delegate registration fees. Hon. John Baird, Treasury Board President, indicated publicly that this was the case with regard to the 2005 Conservative Party annual convention. This was confirmed in subsequent media reports which included statements by the Conservative Party itself. They further stated that this practice had been ongoing for some time, implying that this possible contravention has occurred numerous times.
We further understand that since the Conservative Party of Canada has not recorded any portion of the delegate registration fees as a contribution, then accordingly, they may have misstated contribution information of the Conservative Party of Canada (or its predecessor parties) in public filings as required to be made by all registered political parties.
While a delegate may receive some value in materials and services for his or her registration fee, it is highly unlikely that such value amounts to the entire delegate registration fee at the current levels of such a fee. Whether or not the function involved results in a financial surplus is irrelevant as it is the calculation of the value received by the delegate in exchange for his or her registration fee that determines whether the person paying the delegate registration fee has made a contribution to the Conservative Party of Canada and, if so, the amount of such contribution. In not issuing a receipt for the amount of the delegate registration fee that is a contribution to the Conservative Party of Canada there may have been what I am certain you will agree is an egregious violation of the Canada Elections Act.
Possible Excess Contributions:
Further, as the Conservative Party of Canada did not issue receipts for the contribution portion of delegate or observer registration fees it could not track the total contributions of an individual delegate or observer in the year during which the function was held to ensure that total did not exceed the maximum contribution allowed pursuant to the Canada Elections Act. Accordingly, it is quite possible that a person who paid delegate or observer registration fees exceeded the allowable contribution limits under the Canada Elections Act.
We would, therefore, ask you to investigate the refusal of the Conservative Party of Canada to recognize contributions by persons who paid delegate and observer registration fees, issue receipts to such persons and treat such payments as contributions.
Yours very truly,
Steven MacKinnon
National Director
--------------------
Friday, July 21, 2006
Raymond Landry
Commissioner of Canada Elections
Elections Canada
Denis Meunier
Director General, Compliance Programs Branch
Investigations Directorate
Canada Revenue Agency
Re: Improper Treatment of Observer Registration Fees for Conservative Party of Canada Conventions
Dear Sirs:
We wish to bring to your attention that the Conservative Party of Canada may be treating observer registration fees to its conventions improperly and in contravention of the Canada Elections Act and possibly, the Income Tax Act. Specifically, we believe that the Conservative Party of Canada may have accepted prohibited contributions from corporations and/or associations.
Observer Registration Fees:
The situation with regard to observer registration fees is the same as for delegate registration fees, referred to in a letter sent to you today under separate cover. Some portion of the observer registration fee must, we believe, be considered a contribution to the Conservative Party of Canada and should have been shown in a receipt issued by the Conservative Party of Canada and included as a contribution in financial returns made by the Conservative Party of Canada.
We further understand that some observer registration fees paid to the Conservative Party of Canada were paid by corporations. If that is correct, such corporations have made a contribution to the Conservative Party of Canada in the amount of the observer registration fee that is in excess of the value received by the observer attending the function. Such a corporate contribution to the Conservative Party of Canada is prohibited by the Canada Elections Act. However, the Conservative Party of Canada specifically invited such contributions in its convention registration literature.
I would therefore ask you to investigate whether the Conservative Party of Canada received prohibited contributions from corporations and/or associations who paid observer registration fees.
Yours very truly,
Steven MacKinnon
National Director
Harper's mantra is that the Liberals do not believe in accountability. Pious Hypocrits. Harper is the one who appoints a Senator from Montreal in the cabinet before being called to the Senate. We will not forget!
Liberal Party of Canada files complaint over CPC finances
July 21, 2006
Ottawa - The Liberal Party of Canada today sent letters to Elections Canada and the Canada Revenue Agency formally requesting investigations into the Conservative Party of Canada 2005 convention.
The two letters are as follows:
Friday, July 21, 2006
Raymond Landry
Commissioner of Canada Elections
Elections Canada
Denis Meunier
Director General, Compliance Programs Branch
Investigations Directorate
Canada Revenue Agency
Re: Improper Treatment of Delegate Fees for Conservative Party of Canada Conventions
Dear Sirs:
We wish to bring to your attention that the Conservative Party of Canada may be treating delegate registration fees to its functions improperly and in contravention of the Canada Elections Act and the Income Tax Act. We ask that you investigate what, if true, would include millions of dollars of unreported and undisclosed contributions to the Conservative Party of Canada.
Delegate Registration Fees:
We understand that the Conservative Party has not treated any portion of delegate registration fees as a contribution to the Conservative Party and, therefore, has not issued income tax receipts or receipts required under the Canada Elections Act for any portion of such delegate registration fees. Hon. John Baird, Treasury Board President, indicated publicly that this was the case with regard to the 2005 Conservative Party annual convention. This was confirmed in subsequent media reports which included statements by the Conservative Party itself. They further stated that this practice had been ongoing for some time, implying that this possible contravention has occurred numerous times.
We further understand that since the Conservative Party of Canada has not recorded any portion of the delegate registration fees as a contribution, then accordingly, they may have misstated contribution information of the Conservative Party of Canada (or its predecessor parties) in public filings as required to be made by all registered political parties.
While a delegate may receive some value in materials and services for his or her registration fee, it is highly unlikely that such value amounts to the entire delegate registration fee at the current levels of such a fee. Whether or not the function involved results in a financial surplus is irrelevant as it is the calculation of the value received by the delegate in exchange for his or her registration fee that determines whether the person paying the delegate registration fee has made a contribution to the Conservative Party of Canada and, if so, the amount of such contribution. In not issuing a receipt for the amount of the delegate registration fee that is a contribution to the Conservative Party of Canada there may have been what I am certain you will agree is an egregious violation of the Canada Elections Act.
Possible Excess Contributions:
Further, as the Conservative Party of Canada did not issue receipts for the contribution portion of delegate or observer registration fees it could not track the total contributions of an individual delegate or observer in the year during which the function was held to ensure that total did not exceed the maximum contribution allowed pursuant to the Canada Elections Act. Accordingly, it is quite possible that a person who paid delegate or observer registration fees exceeded the allowable contribution limits under the Canada Elections Act.
We would, therefore, ask you to investigate the refusal of the Conservative Party of Canada to recognize contributions by persons who paid delegate and observer registration fees, issue receipts to such persons and treat such payments as contributions.
Yours very truly,
Steven MacKinnon
National Director
--------------------
Friday, July 21, 2006
Raymond Landry
Commissioner of Canada Elections
Elections Canada
Denis Meunier
Director General, Compliance Programs Branch
Investigations Directorate
Canada Revenue Agency
Re: Improper Treatment of Observer Registration Fees for Conservative Party of Canada Conventions
Dear Sirs:
We wish to bring to your attention that the Conservative Party of Canada may be treating observer registration fees to its conventions improperly and in contravention of the Canada Elections Act and possibly, the Income Tax Act. Specifically, we believe that the Conservative Party of Canada may have accepted prohibited contributions from corporations and/or associations.
Observer Registration Fees:
The situation with regard to observer registration fees is the same as for delegate registration fees, referred to in a letter sent to you today under separate cover. Some portion of the observer registration fee must, we believe, be considered a contribution to the Conservative Party of Canada and should have been shown in a receipt issued by the Conservative Party of Canada and included as a contribution in financial returns made by the Conservative Party of Canada.
We further understand that some observer registration fees paid to the Conservative Party of Canada were paid by corporations. If that is correct, such corporations have made a contribution to the Conservative Party of Canada in the amount of the observer registration fee that is in excess of the value received by the observer attending the function. Such a corporate contribution to the Conservative Party of Canada is prohibited by the Canada Elections Act. However, the Conservative Party of Canada specifically invited such contributions in its convention registration literature.
I would therefore ask you to investigate whether the Conservative Party of Canada received prohibited contributions from corporations and/or associations who paid observer registration fees.
Yours very truly,
Steven MacKinnon
National Director
Harper's mantra is that the Liberals do not believe in accountability. Pious Hypocrits. Harper is the one who appoints a Senator from Montreal in the cabinet before being called to the Senate. We will not forget!
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