Former Churchill-Keewatinook Aski Liberal candidate Rebecca Chartrand has gone public with anecdotal information suggesting voting irregularities favoured successful NDP candidate Niki Ashton.
This comes after news broke of Ashton’s campaign alleging misconduct that favoured Chartrand in the community of Fairford during last year’s federal election.
“Ashton’s complaints have been lodged on hearsay and not facts,” Chartrand wrote in a Facebook post, adding that Fairford “overwhelmingly” voted Liberal. “A number of community members have reached out to me asking me to respond to these allegations as this is being viewed by some as an abuse of power! Rather than defending her constituents, Ashton is choosing to attack the people she has been elected to represent by making issue of petty matters. To some, this is being viewed as bullying, and in effect may discourage people from voting in the future election.”
Chartrand told the Nickel Belt News that her campaign team also received reports of irregularities, including voter interference, a voting violation and a report of a vehicle belonging to a member of the Ashton campaign with a campaign sign being parked right outside a polling station while voting took place in Nelson House.
Under Elections Canada regulations, candidate’s representatives, such as election scrutineers, cannot display partisan symbols or material, including colours or symbols that identify their candidate or party, in or near a polling place when voting is taking place. This includes parking lots and sidewalks.
“This is one sample of the anecdotal information we received during advance voting and election night,” said Chartrand, who said her campaign also forwarded complaints to Elections Canada. “We look forward to Election Canada’s review of this election and the complaints we have sent forward.”
One concern presented by the Ashton team related to the unusually high voter turnout in Fairford, also known as Pinaymootang First Nation.
“Is it possible the high voter turnout in this community and the concerns about more ballots being cast than electors is directly related to the neglect this community has experienced over the past four-and-a-half years?” Chartrand wrote on her Facebook page, referring to flooding-related evacuations. “This would explain the high voter turnout in this election. Niki Ashton won the election so why is she making this an issue?”
Rather than focusing on what happened during the election, Chartrand says Ashton should be advocating for the people she represents.
“Members from the riding believe there are more pressing issues that need to be addressed throughout the riding in the house and wish those would be brought forward through her as their MP,” Chartrand wrote.
Compiled from a Thompson Citizen article
