Sorry, Lorrie, This Just Doesn't Wash

Far too many questions about Robocalls to dismiss the whole of it as innocent

A column by Lorrie Goldstein on the "robocalls" investigation raises some interesting questions about some of the specific complaints at the heart of the affair. Unfortunately, it just doesn't answer some of the most troubling questions.

Goldstein raises the spectre of Conservative voters directed to the wrong polling stations by individuals calling on the part of the Conservative Party. He attributes this to polling stations being relocated by Elections Canada, and so far as this much goes, he's almost certainly correct.

Many more of the calls can likely be explained by simple human error -- call centre volunteers getting scripts mixed up -- In fact, this particular complaint could be explained just that simply. But the explanation about Tory volunteers "shortening" their scripts to say they're from Elections Canada, instead of from the Conservative Party of Canada, simply doesn't pass the smell test.

It doesn't even begin to explain calls such as this one, reported by the CBC as being linked back to Rack9.

Likewise, there's little question that the opposition, and their proxies at groups such as Leadnow, are throwing "everything but the kitchen sink" complaints into this affair. They're actually doing Canadians a very deep disservice, because it means that a lot of complaints with simple and innocent explanations will divert resources that should be devoted to investigating the actual vote-suppressing calls.

But that doesn't erase the very serious nature of the robocalls affair. At this point it's undeniable and cannot be ignored that someone has done something very wrong. Conservative Canadians have every bit as much an interest in this as anyone else. We're all in this together now... us versus the guilty people.