Dion, Dryden, and Brison, tsk, tsk
An article highlighting the dirty and shadowy attempts of some candidates. Most notably the second tier candidates who want to change public perception about their chances. Well it looks like Volpe and Bob Rae have some company.
I can't believe this.
Liberal leadership contenders face possible sanctions
Canadian Press
OTTAWA Three Liberal leadership hopefuls could face sanctions for giving
the party's confidential membership lists to a newspaper which used the data
to conduct a controversial opinion poll on the leadership race.
The Globe and Mail, which published the poll results last week, said it
obtained the lists from the campaigns of Stephane Dion, Ken Dryden and Scott
Brison, although the latter's camp has since denied any involvement.
Yet each candidate was required to personally sign a declaration of
confidentiality before the party handed over the coveted lists of members
across the country.
In the declaration, candidates agreed to take "appropriate measures to
protect the confidentiality of the personal information on the lists." They
further agreed that they "will not disclose the lists to anyone outside the
Liberal Party of Canada." Liberal national director Steven MacKinnon said
the party is still investigating the possible breach of confidentiality.
"Needless to say, using our membership lists for anything other than the
intended purpose . . . troubles us," Mr. MacKinnon said.
"Membership lists are the property of the Liberal party and they are not to
be disseminated to anybody on whim," he added. "We are taking this very
seriously."
Mr. MacKinnon would not disclose the nature of the sanctions that could be
imposed on candidates deemed to have broken their oath to protect the
confidentiality of the lists. But party insiders said punishment options
include a private reprimand, a public reprimand, a fine or even
disqualification of a candidate, an unlikely option in this case.
Leadership hopeful Joe Volpe said he's not sure what penalty could be
imposed but "I'm told they're quite harsh and severe." However, Mark
Marissen, Mr. Dion's campaign director, said his camp received legal advice
that it was within the bounds of the agreement to give the membership lists
to the Globe strictly for the purpose of conducting a poll.
He said the paper and pollster, Strategic Counsel, signed declarations
ensuring the lists would not be used for any other purpose.
Mr. Marissen pointed out that the confidentiality agreement signed by each
candidate expressly states that use of the lists by "an outside source" such
as a mailing house or call centre, is allowed, provided that a
confidentiality declaration is signed.
Not all rival camps were buying the argument, however. Some noted that
campaigns would ordinarily use a call centre to solicit support from
members, not to conduct a poll.
If camps did provide the lists to the Globe, Mr. Volpe said: "It's in
contravention of an agreement that all the campaigns signed."
"We all undertook to keep the lists within our respective campaigns and to
use them . . . for membership or voting purposes only," said Alex Swann,
spokesman for former Ontario premier Bob Rae's campaign.
"It was a serious undertaking. We take those things seriously." Mr. Marissen
said the Mr. Dryden and Mr. Brison camps also provided lists to the Globe. A
Dryden spokesperson was unsure but Mr. Brison spokesman Dale Palmeter
vehemently denied his camp's involvement and said he's demanded an
explanation from the newspaper.
"To the knowledge of everyone on our campaign, no one provided the lists,"
he said.
Moreover, Mr. Palmeter questioned the results of the poll, which suggested
that Rae and Michael Ignatieff were virtually tied when party members were
asked who they'd support on the first ballot. Mr. Dion was close behind. The
poll also suggested that Mr. Rae and Mr. Dion had the best potential for
growth on subsequent ballots.
Mr. Brison emerged with only three per cent support but Mr. Palmeter said
the poll appears to have surveyed very few Liberals in Atlantic Canada,
which will account for 10 per cent of the delegates to the December
leadership convention and where Mr. Brison's support is strongest.
Mr. Palmeter pointed out that the survey didn't even bother to specify the
sample size or margin of error for the region, although it does provide such
data for all other regions of the country.
I can't believe this.
Liberal leadership contenders face possible sanctions
Canadian Press
OTTAWA Three Liberal leadership hopefuls could face sanctions for giving
the party's confidential membership lists to a newspaper which used the data
to conduct a controversial opinion poll on the leadership race.
The Globe and Mail, which published the poll results last week, said it
obtained the lists from the campaigns of Stephane Dion, Ken Dryden and Scott
Brison, although the latter's camp has since denied any involvement.
Yet each candidate was required to personally sign a declaration of
confidentiality before the party handed over the coveted lists of members
across the country.
In the declaration, candidates agreed to take "appropriate measures to
protect the confidentiality of the personal information on the lists." They
further agreed that they "will not disclose the lists to anyone outside the
Liberal Party of Canada." Liberal national director Steven MacKinnon said
the party is still investigating the possible breach of confidentiality.
"Needless to say, using our membership lists for anything other than the
intended purpose . . . troubles us," Mr. MacKinnon said.
"Membership lists are the property of the Liberal party and they are not to
be disseminated to anybody on whim," he added. "We are taking this very
seriously."
Mr. MacKinnon would not disclose the nature of the sanctions that could be
imposed on candidates deemed to have broken their oath to protect the
confidentiality of the lists. But party insiders said punishment options
include a private reprimand, a public reprimand, a fine or even
disqualification of a candidate, an unlikely option in this case.
Leadership hopeful Joe Volpe said he's not sure what penalty could be
imposed but "I'm told they're quite harsh and severe." However, Mark
Marissen, Mr. Dion's campaign director, said his camp received legal advice
that it was within the bounds of the agreement to give the membership lists
to the Globe strictly for the purpose of conducting a poll.
He said the paper and pollster, Strategic Counsel, signed declarations
ensuring the lists would not be used for any other purpose.
Mr. Marissen pointed out that the confidentiality agreement signed by each
candidate expressly states that use of the lists by "an outside source" such
as a mailing house or call centre, is allowed, provided that a
confidentiality declaration is signed.
Not all rival camps were buying the argument, however. Some noted that
campaigns would ordinarily use a call centre to solicit support from
members, not to conduct a poll.
If camps did provide the lists to the Globe, Mr. Volpe said: "It's in
contravention of an agreement that all the campaigns signed."
"We all undertook to keep the lists within our respective campaigns and to
use them . . . for membership or voting purposes only," said Alex Swann,
spokesman for former Ontario premier Bob Rae's campaign.
"It was a serious undertaking. We take those things seriously." Mr. Marissen
said the Mr. Dryden and Mr. Brison camps also provided lists to the Globe. A
Dryden spokesperson was unsure but Mr. Brison spokesman Dale Palmeter
vehemently denied his camp's involvement and said he's demanded an
explanation from the newspaper.
"To the knowledge of everyone on our campaign, no one provided the lists,"
he said.
Moreover, Mr. Palmeter questioned the results of the poll, which suggested
that Rae and Michael Ignatieff were virtually tied when party members were
asked who they'd support on the first ballot. Mr. Dion was close behind. The
poll also suggested that Mr. Rae and Mr. Dion had the best potential for
growth on subsequent ballots.
Mr. Brison emerged with only three per cent support but Mr. Palmeter said
the poll appears to have surveyed very few Liberals in Atlantic Canada,
which will account for 10 per cent of the delegates to the December
leadership convention and where Mr. Brison's support is strongest.
Mr. Palmeter pointed out that the survey didn't even bother to specify the
sample size or margin of error for the region, although it does provide such
data for all other regions of the country.
posted by Daniel Mosely at 4:12 PM
3 Comments:
Dion is the one who actually put it out. I understand his candidate admitted as much at the Wednesday all candidate meeting last week but said "we are allowed to do so..." should be interesting if Dion gets dinged for this.
No rules were broken. There was a confidentiality agreement with the polling company.
All of the campaigns contract out some of their voter i.d. to professional companies to identify their vote.
Polling companies, on the other hand, won't even share the individual voting intentions with their clients.
There is no worry about confidentiality here. It is sacrosanct in the polling business.
All a tempest in a teapot.
How else could dryden and dion get high poll numbers except by giving the entire liberal membership list minus a few thousand signups by the front runners to the conservative party.. i mean allan greg.
despicable!
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