Mailings linked to Barrie councillor lead to call for review of MPs’ privileges

By ALTHIA RAJ Barrie Examiner Bovember 16 2010
OTTAWA — The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is calling for a review of MPs’ mailing privileges after a Conservative MP used his free House of Commons account to send flyers on behalf of a Barrie councillor who couldn’t afford to send information out himself.
Barrie MP Patrick Brown peppered part of his riding in late July with a letter expressing support for a local councillor seeking re-election who was opposed to a high-density development.
Brown’s mailing also included a flyer from Coun. Michael Prowse with his photo, urging residents to voice their opposition to the controversial zoning application in his ward.
“During my 2 terms of Council I have always tried to ensure residents were not only well represented but at the same time were well informed on important issues,” Prowse wrote in the flyer, which also appeared on his election campaign website and was referenced in campaign material he distributed.
Prowse said he asked Brown to send a mailing and include his flyer because he had used up his city budget and couldn’t afford to reach other area residents.
“Our communications budget is quite limited and I used virtually all of mine,” he told QMI Agency.
Prowse said he doesn’t view his flyer as campaign material and at the time he was running unopposed.
“It’s bad enough when taxpayers get put on the hook for their elected officials’ profligacy, it is even worse when they get together and collude at different levels of government to maximize the profligacy — especially at a time and in a manner that could easily be seen to be to the benefit of one’s campaign,” said the Canadian Taxpayers Federation’s Kevin Gaudet.
Free mailing privileges should be reviewed because they are being abused for nefarious purposes, Gaudet added.
“Whatever his (Prowse) motivation was for approaching me, that was never mentioned to me,” Brown said in an interview.
Brown said Prowse’ passion against the development convinced him to send the mailing, but he would have refrained from doing so closer to the Oct. 25 vote date to avoid perceptions he was getting involved in the municipal race.
“By throwing his letter in, it was not like there was any additional cost incurred,” Brown said of his mailing.
But Liberal critic for democratic reform, Carolyn Bennett, believes House of Commons Speaker Peter Milliken should be alerted because the mailing may not fall within the rules.”If you can have Members of Parliament using franking privileges to blanket your riding with the equivalent of campaign material, that would be a serious advantage to your campaign,” she said. “In terms of how much that would have cost in stamps is huge.”
Last week, Bennett called for Milliken to investigate a letter sent on House of Commons letterhead by outgoing Conservative MP Greg Thompson urging party members to back a former Prime Minister Stephen Harper aide as his replacement.