Guelph MP pushes for Elections Canada to regulate robocalls
Posted March 6, 2012 6:31 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
OTTAWA – There has been a push for Elections Canada to regulate all robocalls from political parties in the wake of the scandal that’s gripping Parliament Hill.
Canadians are calling for more action to find out who is responsible for the misleading and harassing phone calls from the last campaign.
Liberal MP Frank Valeriote, whose Guelph riding is at the centre of the robocall investigation, says one simple measure would be to properly screen all automated phone messages from parties.
“Where anyone using the services has to better identify, has to send the message through, perhaps, a clearing house at Elections Canada, so that in some measure the deceptive calls can be avoided again,” he explained.
Valeriot said that all parties involved need to face the consequences when laws are broken.
He added that he knows this may not be a popular idea amongst politicians but it is needed to stop this kind of technological fraud.
“(Fraud) is so much easier to do through today’s technology. I think, for that reason, we require much more regulation,” said Valeriot.
A new Angus Reid poll found that four in five Canadians want to see an independent investigation into the robocall scandal.
The poll also found that a majority of Canadians believe the Conservatives, followed by the Liberals, are most likely to take part in dirty campaign tricks.
