Appeals court shreds Conservative defence

The Globe and Mail:

A civil court victory the Conservative Party has touted as vindication against charges of election wrongdoing has been unanimously overturned by the Federal Court of Appeal.

The ruling confirms Elections Canada's interpretation of electoral spending laws and says it was reasonable for the electoral watchdog to reject the way the Conservative Party reported national advertising expenses for the 2006 election.

The unanimous, three-judge panel's ruling guts the Conservatives' main line of defence since charges were laid last week against four top party officials.

Elections Canada maintains the scheme allowed the national party to exceed its spending limit by more than $1-million, while letting candidates claim rebates on expenses they hadn't actually incurred.

The decision found that the cost of regional media buys claimed by the local candidates was “more of a cost-shifting arrangement than an agreement by the participating candidates to purchase advertisements.”

Late last week, charges of wilfully overspending were laid against the party and four of its top campaign and fundraising officials, including Senators Irving Gerstein and Doug Finley.

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