Misleading election call traced to Conservatives, says B.C. woman
Woman says repeated calls asked for donations then claimed polling place changed
CBC News
Posted: Mar 1, 2012 5:59 PM PT
Last Updated: Mar 1, 2012 11:55 PM PT
Related
A Mission, B.C., woman says she was given misleading information by the Conservative Party a few days before the May 2011 federal election.
Astrid Dimond said she had been called six times for Conservative donations during the last election. After a seventh call, she said she did an internet search on the caller’s phone number, which had shown up on her call display.
"It came up as the Conservative Party in Victoria," Dimond said.
The next time she received a call from the same number, she told the caller she was supporting the NDP in the election in the hopes the calls would stop.
Two days before the election, Dimond said she got another call from the same number.
“[The caller] just said, ‘Did you know the polling station had changed,’ and basically, I said, ‘No it hasn't,’ and that was the end of the conversation. I wouldn't let her continue because I knew it was a falsehood."
Dimond said some of her neighbours were getting similar calls and they all knew the information was wrong.
Complained to Elections Canada
Dimond said she sent a complaint to Elections Canada about the aggressive and ultimately misleading calling.
In an email response to Dimond, the federal agency said that, "no issue of compliance or enforcement arises.”
However, the agency also suggested it was already aware that misleading or nuisance calls were being made.
"Your complaint will also be considered in context with a broader inquiry ongoing with regard to irritating calls that have been occurred during this general election campaign," Elections Canada said.
The "robocalls" issue has dominated House of Commons question period for most of this week.The riding in which Dimond lives — Pitt Meadows-Maple Ridge-Mission — has been held by Conservative Randy Kamp since 2004.
CBC News has been told about suspicious calls in nine B.C. ridings:
- Burnaby-Douglas.
- Burnaby-New Westminster.
- New Westminster-Coquitlam.
- North Vancouver.
- Pitt Meadows-Maple Ridge-Mission.
- Prince George-Peace River.
- Saanich-Gulf Islands.
- Vancouver Quadra.
- Vancouver South.
Share Tools
Latest British Columbia News Headlines
- Ryder Hesjedal wins prestigious Giro d'Italia
- Victoria, B.C., native Ryder Hesjedal has become the first Canadian to win one of the cycling world's three Grand Tour events, wrapping up the 2012 Giro d'Italia with an excellent performance in the final stage in Milan. more »
- Surrey RCMP seek hit-run driver
- Police are looking for a light-coloured Chrysler with damage to the driver's front side after a pedestrian was hit in Surrey, B.C., early Sunday morning. more »
- B.C. man who scaled Everest returns home
- A Vancouver man who climbed the world's highest mountain is back home and talking about the adventure. more »
- Fort Langley restaurant damaged in fire
- A sushi restaurant in Fort Langley, B.C., was damaged in a fire early Sunday morning. more »
Top News Headlines
- CP Rail negotiations stalled, union says
- Negotiations between Canadian Pacific Railway Lt. and the union representing 4,800 striking locomotive engineers and conductors have come to a "stall" after the government-appointed mediator walked out at 2 p.m. ET, a union spokesman says. more »
- UN Security Council blames Syrian regime for massacre
- The UN Security Council condemned the Syrian regime at an emergency meeting Sunday, holding president Bashar al-Assad's military responsible for the massacre of more than 100 people, dozens of whom were children younger than 10 years old. more »
- Ryder Hesjedal wins prestigious Giro d'Italia
- Victoria, B.C., native Ryder Hesjedal has become the first Canadian to win one of the cycling world's three Grand Tour events, wrapping up the 2012 Giro d'Italia with an excellent performance in the final stage in Milan. more »
- Neighbour may have helped find missing kids in Mexico
- Two Winnipeg children who had been missing for nearly four years were found in Mexico after a man raised concerns about his neighbour, according to a private investigator. more »
- Canada's Ryder Hesjedal gets boost from family
- B.C. Coast Guard Auxiliary gets new name
- Psych ward escapes worry neighbours
- Environmental coalition pulls out of fish farm talks
- Passengers' families sue for fatal B.C. plane crash
- B.C. premier unhappy with disgraced Mountie's transfer
- B.C. man who scaled Everest returns home
- Tsunami motorcycle heading to Harley museum
- Fort Langley restaurant damaged in fire

