ABOVE THE FOLD
CLEARED BY COMMISH — An NDPer is in the clear after the PCs accused her of using taxpayer-funded resources for partisan purposes, which is a no-no under parliamentary convention.
The allegation: PC LORNE COE (Whitby) had complained that NDP LISE VAUGEOIS (Thunder Bay—Superior North) seemingly used legislative and constituency office resources to promote the party.
Specifically: Vaugeois circulated an email newsletter that encouraged supporters to donate and take out a membership in the NDP. It also featured the provincial coat of arms and contact info for Vaugeois’s local and legislative offices.
The ruling: But ethics watchdog J. DAVID WAKE found no wrongdoing. Wake noted the newsletter was paid for by the local riding association, not Vaugeois’s legislative budget, and was created by a staffer and volunteer in their own time and on their personal laptop.
Said Wake: “Given the relatively minor nature of the non-compliance by the staffer, the fact that it was early days…