'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
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.