'If it walks like a PC attack ad': Out-of-province group attacks Manitoba NDP leader in advertising campaign
An ad campaign from an out-of-province group is fanning the political flames in Manitoba.
In recent weeks, the Canada Growth Council – which has ties to conservatives in Saskatchewan – has been targeting the Manitoba NDP and leader Wab Kinew through a series of attack ads through text messages, social media posts, and on billboards.
"The attack ads unfortunately come with the territory but I think Manitobans see through these kind of tactics,” Kinew told CTV News Friday.
According to its website, the Canada Growth Council advocates for the growth and prosperity of Canada. A link on the website clicks to a Facebook page called "Manitoba Watch 2023."
On the page, ads claim the NDP will distribute illicit drugs, raise taxes exponentially, and form an alliance with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Federal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh.
The Canada Growth Council is also behind a text message sent to some Manitobans earlier this week.
"Organizations do have the right to do this if they have opinions, if they want to advocate, if they want to engage in these kinds of activities,” Royce Koop, a political studies professor at the University of Manitoba, told CTV News on Friday. “However, citizens have to be critical consumers of this kind of material. It’s not coming from parties, it’s coming from outside organizations.”
However, the NDP is crying foul – and filed two complaints with Elections Manitoba.
The NDP alleges Canada Growth Council’s ads violate third-party advertising rules, and say the messaging aligns with similar attacks made by the Manitoba PC Party.
"This is all they got,” Kinew said. “The PCs aren’t going to be able to run on health care because they really damaged the health care system. So you’re going to see a lot more of these personal attacks between now and voting day."
In an emailed statement to CTV news, a PC spokesperson said “(The) PC caucus has not had any role with this third party group whatsoever.”
However, Dougald Lamont, the leader of the Manitoba Liberals, isn’t convinced.
“If it walks like a PC attack ad, it talks like a PC attack ad, and it looks like a PC attack ad --- it probably is a PC attack ad,” Lamont said.
He said these types of ads are an attack on democracy,
“Somebody needs to explain who paid for them and why. Because if it wasn’t the PCs, exactly why is it that a group from Saskatchewan even cares about what our election is going to be.”
Koop said any allegations of coordination between the PCs and Canada Growth Council are possible, but the claims lack evidence.
"A lot of the things being said or written about Wab Kinew are in the public domain,” Koop said. “They've been in the public domain for a very long time and in fact, Mr. Kinew has addressed them himself.”
Third-party groups must register with Elections Manitoba if they spend more than $2,500 on advertisements in the pre-election or election period.
Elections Manitoba said the Canada Growth Council hasn’t registered as of June 9.
The Canada Growth Council did not respond to requests for comment.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Canucks claw out 5-4 comeback win over Oilers in Game 1
Dakota Joshua had a goal and two assists and the Vancouver Canucks scored three third-period goals to claw out a 5-4 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Wednesday.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.