What dirt? What tricks? Newly-minted Liberal Lise St-Denis is getting unwelcome phone traffic.
Quebec’s Liberal mouthpiece, Denis Coderre, thinks he sees a chance to tar the NDP with the Conservative (US Republican) playbook.
Robocalls were made to constituents asking if they were pleased with St-Denis’ jump. And if they weren’t, they were automatically transferred to her office, where no doubt they could voice their displeasure. So many were unhappy with her betrayal that her House of Commons phoneline was jammed. Well, whose fault is that?
The huffpuffery from this Liberal in NDP clothing is wonderful to behold:
“I find it to block phone lines that belong to the government,” she said. “They don’t have a right to do that. It is prohibited to use phone lines that belong to the House of Commons for political action.”
Er…Lise? That prohibition covers phoning out, not phoning in. Constituents have a right to speak with their representative, even if the means of setting up the conversation was admittedly a little questionable. You’re a fine one, however, to talk about “immorality.” Just saying.
But…NDP? Next time, let the right hand know what the left hand is doing. Just a thought.
[NDP spokeswoman Sally ] Housser’s revelation comes only a day after the NDP’s Quebec caucus chair Guy Caron categorically denied in an interview with iPolitics that the NDP had anything to do with phone campaign in St-Denis’ riding.
“This is not our way of doing things so I would be extremely surprised if it came from us,” said Caron.
Awkkkward.
But at least St-Denis now has an appreciation of what her constituents think of her disgraceful, duplicitous move. Only 12% of the votes in her riding were cast for the Liberals. If those who embraced the NDP had only known.
In other news, Liberals this weekend rejected a proposal that would have permitted non-paying “supporters” to vote in riding nomination contests. There was a fear that Liberal riding associations could be taken over by hostile forces. Can’t have that. Better to run Liberals as stealth NDPers and Conservatives in their own riding associations—far less work.
That, of course, wouldn’t be a “dirty trick”—would it?