Court Rules Against Tories In Election Financing Scheme

The Conservatives say they have a “difference of opinion” with Elections Canada.

A federal court has found it was reasonable for Elections Canada to be dissatisfied with how the Conservatives reported campaign expenses in the 2006 election that brought them to power, dealing a serious blow to Stephen Harper’s party. The elections watchdog says the Tories shuffled money between regional candidates’ offices and their national campaign in order to exceed the campaign spending limit by over $1 million. Tuesday’s court ruling overturns an earlier judgment that had sided with the Conservatives and comes days after Elections Canada charged four Conservative campaign leaders, including sitting senators Doug Finley and Irving Gerstein, with offences related to the scheme. The charges are regulatory, not criminal, but carry a maximum penalty of a year in jail.