Firms Use #CPC Tactics To Halt Bad PR

Many of you will remember yesterdays post about John Fryer, the UVic professor who wrote a letter to the editor of the Globe and Mail about the two day Manning Center intensive campaign course he attended where-in he allegidly had heard about Robocalls and voter suppression. Turns out the group that Fryer had claimed were at the head of the two day course didn’t like their name being slashed across the front page of the Vancouver Observer by Leadnow.ca head researcher Emma Pullman.

John Fryer how now issued a full apology which one can only assume came at great personal expense. From what I’ve heard of John he is a man of intense integrity and has a strong reputation as having worked with all governments, Conservative, Liberal and NDP. That he’s retracted his apology “at your request” as stated in his letter could only mean one thing: he was threatened with litigation.

I have it on good authority that John has done this because he was literally scared away from his position. One should not be surprised that bullying is a tactic used by a group that supports Conservative causes.

Turning our attention away from Mr. Fryer we have the case of Winnipeg Center MP Pat Martin who has issued a clarification on statements he’s made about Campaign Research. The clarification is as follows:

From: NDP/NPD Communications
Sent: March 7, 2012 5:00 PM
To: NDP/NPD Communications
Subject: Statement by MP Pat Martin (Winnipeg Centre) // Déclaration du député Pat Martin (Winnipeg Centre)

Statement by MP Pat Martin (Winnipeg Centre)

On Sunday, February 26, 2012, I appeared as a guest on the CTV Question Periodprogram. In the course of that broadcast, I made certain comments dealing with the allegations of voter tampering at the 41st federal general election of May 2, 2011, that seem to have been misunderstood by the corporate officers in charge of Campaign Research Inc, an Ottawa-based company. Today, I would like to clarify my remarks.

I did not accuse Campaign Research Inc. of having engaged in criminal activity in respect of robo-calls during the Spring 2011 election campaign, nor did I intend to convey that meaning. My exact remarks were to the effect that this is a company, meaning one of a number of companies, of a size and organizationalcapacity as to be able to have engaged in strategies to influence the outcome of the election. In fact, the concluding part of my comments was: “So I would hope the investigators look at the other contractors that are working for the Conservative Party.”

As a Member of Parliament, I not only have the right, but indeed the obligation, to comment on current issues vital to democracy and to the conduct of public affairs.

Pat Martin
Member of Parliament
Winnipeg Centre

***
Déclaration du député Pat Martin (Winnipeg Centre)

Le dimanche 26 février 2012, j’ai participé à titre d’invité à l’émission Question Period diffusée à CTV. Lors de cette émission, j’ai fait certains commentaires concernant des allégations de fraude électorale lors de la 41e élection générale du 2 mai 2011 qui semblent avoir été mal interprétés par les responsables de Campaign Research Inc., une compagnie d’Ottawa. Aujourd’hui, je voudrais clarifier mes propos.

Je n’ai pas accusé Campaign Research Inc. de s’être livré à des activités criminelles dans l’affaire des appels téléphoniques robotisés lors de la campagne électorale du printemps 2011 et je n’ai pas non plus tenté de transmettre cette idée. Mes propos exacts étaient que cette entreprise, comme d’autres, avait la taille et la capacité organisationnelle de participer à des stratégies visant à influencer le résultat d’une élection. En fait, la dernière partie de mon commentaire était : « Alors, j’espère que les enquêteurs s’attarderont aux autres entreprises qui travaillent pour le Parti conservateur. »

En tant que député, je n’ai pas seulement le droit, mais aussi le devoir de commenter des enjeux d’actualité qui sont importants pour la démocratie et les affaires publiques.

Pat Martin
Member of Parliament
Winnipeg Centre

-30-

I love the part at the end when he says

I not only have the right, but indeed the obligation, to comment on current issues vital to democracy and to the conduct of public affairs.

Bang on Pat. This is why I love Mr. Martin; he’s fearless.

It should also be noted that RMG, the group that has been mentioned numerous time in relation to alleged voter suppression in Thunder Bay, has issues a warning to all media outlets

threatening to sue media organizations which write about the firm

As we’ve seen from Conservative groups in the past, when people say things about you that raise concerns about your practices, instead of dealing with these concerns in a public and accountable way, it’s better to sue your problems away.

Makes me wonder what these groups are hiding?

Cross Posted at The Ryan Painter Show