Liberal staffers responsible for party’s failed disinformation campaign ‘reassigned’

OTTAWA — Liberal staffers responsible for a bungled disinformation campaign at an Ottawa conference last week were “reassigned,” party leader Mark Carney said Monday.

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Speaking to reporters from a press conference in Montreal, Carney described the stunt as “totally unacceptable,” and while an apology was offered, he maintained ignorance of the plot.

“I was unaware of this behaviour, but on behalf of my campaign, I apologize for it unreservedly,” he said.

“I’ve made it absolutely clear to my campaign that this behaviour, or anything approximating it or in that spirit, is unacceptable and cannot happen again.”

Rather than being terminated, the staffers instead were “reassigned within the campaign,” Carney said.

The Toronto Sun’s inquiries to the campaign for details weren’t returned by press time.

As first reported by CBC News on Sunday, Liberal campaign workers gained access to the Canada Strong and Free Network’s annual convention in downtown Ottawa last week, planting hyper-partisan buttons around the convention floor in a failed disinformation campaign.

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The scheme unravelled after party employees were overheard by a CBC News reporter loudly bragging about it in an Ottawa pub Friday night.

While the buttons were initially reported in the convention area, sources told the Sun buttons were spotted throughout the Westin Ottawa hotel, including in bathrooms and restaurants on the property.

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Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner described the situation as “ridiculous” and a sign that Canada desperately needs change.

“What you have the Liberals doing right now, it’s the same divisive misinformation and disinformation tactics that they’ve pushed upon the country for years, they’re trying to distract from their record,” she told the Sun.

“They’re showing people they haven’t changed — in fact, they’re doubling down.”

The fact the responsible staffers are being reassigned rather than fired, she said, is telling.

“This clearly wasn’t a rogue operation, clearly the Liberal campaign leadership either ordered or condoned what they did,” she said, adding the operation took time, planning and resources — as well as somebody ponying up the money for a ticket to the pricey event.

“The narratives they were trying to stoke in those buttons are narratives that are central to the Liberal campaign, which are not central to the needs of Canadians right now.”

bpassifiume@postmedia.com
X: @bryanpassifiume

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