Thursday, February 10, 2011

Linda Duncan, call your office.

Linda Duncan, call your office because it looks like someone is using Parliamentary resources for partisan purposes which is, as you know, strictly against the rules.

Update: I have removed the 'it looks like" line from the original post. At first I thought that perhaps the use of the @parl.gc.ca email address might have been a simple error on behalf of the campus NDP, but that is not the case and I now have concrete proof that Linda Duncan's MP office is indeed using that account  for the partisan door knocking event(s) outlined below. (see end of post for additional info)

(Please note the contact email address, highlighted by me, in the following email)



Email from the UofA NDP Campus club:

Subject: U of A Campus NDP Meeting and Volunteer Requests.

Hello fellow campus New Democrats!

The U of A Campus NDP is planning to re-coordinate our efforts to get
New Democrats seen and heard on campus. If you're interested in being
involved in the club, including planning strategy and bringing in
speakers from the provincial and federal NDP, come to our upcoming
meeting:

(snip)

Also, it is quite likely we will have a federal election called in the
next month or two. Help your Edmonton NDP candidates get ready! Here
are some ways you can help get rid of Stephen Harper's Conservatives
and put progressive MPs in their places:

Re-elect Linda Duncan in Edmonton-Strathcona

Upcoming door-knocking sessions (open to everyone, regardless of
experience level):
Canvass in Windsor Park, Saturday February 12, 1pm:  Please meet at
home of Mary XXXXXX, one of the coordinators for the Windsor Park
team, XXXXX St
Canvass in Garneau/Strathcona, Sunday February 13, 1pm:  Please meet
at the home of Nancy XXXX, Garneau team coordinator, XXXXX,
XXXXXX.  The building has visitor parking and there
is also parking on Saskatchewan Drive.
Canvass in King Edward Park, Sunday, February 20, 1pm: Please meet at
the home of Melinda XXXXXX, 8XXX XX Avenue.

For more information or to sign up for any of the above sessions,
contact Erica Bullwinkle at DuncaL1@parl.gc.ca

(Snip)

Hope to see you soon on the campaign trail with us!
Joel French
U of A Campus NDP

(end)


While I don't know the exact reading of the House Board of Internal Economy's rules on the use of government resources for partisan purposes, I am pretty sure that the organizing of 3 separate and purely partisan door knocking events, using an email account from Duncan's Parliamentary office and on Government of Canada servers, fits into the category of things not allowed.


Time to call your office Linda, because someone there is breaking the rules.


The important info from an email ( on the subject of partisan door knocking) forwarded to me this AM. As with the campus NDP email I have removed all the non relevant personal identifiable information.


Updated: With permission, I have now enclosed the entire email body


Return-Path: (duncal1@parl.gc.ca)
Received: from mailer01.parl.gc.ca ([192.197.82.XXX])
Subject: RE: Sunday Feb 13 Canvass in Garneau/Strathcona

(body of email snipped to protect source, but related specifically to the campus email and partisan door knocking and the reply signed by Erica B, acting in the capacity of constituency assistant in Linda Duncan's Edmonton office)



Hi Ron – Terrific!  I will plan for three and if not everyone shows that’s OK.  I just like to make sure I have enough routes and kits.  See you then, Erica


Erica Bullwinkle
Constituency Assistant
Linda Duncan, M.P.
Edmonton-Strathcona
780-495-8404
Fax: 780-495-8403

www.lindaduncan.ndp.ca



Busted!

23 comments:

maryT said...

Isn't that what got Jaffers in trouble, supposedly using his wife's e-mail.

Fay said...

Waiting for Kady O'Malley get right on this!!!! HaHa

Ardvark said...

I have sent an email to Linda Duncan's office asking for an official response.

Jen said...

"we have to get rid of Stephen Harper"

Why? I want her to answer that; surely she must have a reason to make such a statement.

Anonymous said...

Caught red handed!

Kring said...

Busted! Nice catch!

Erica said...

I appreciate the opportunity to address this issue via your blog. I want to assure you that I am completely clear about the two roles I have – that of riding office assistant and election campaign manager. Publicity and refreshments for our student event were paid for by the riding association. I use my personal e-mail for campaign activities. In this instance, it was a mistake that my work information was attached to the notice. I have asked the Campus New Democrats to send out a correction and they have kindly done so.

Erica Bullwinkle

Ardvark said...

Erica, are you not aware that you are not to use an MP's office, including the email accounts for ANY partisan purposes?

If it indeed was a 'mistake' that the parl.gc.ca email was attached to the campus letter, why did you yourself use the parl account, instead of your personal account, to reply to a an email question about the partisan door knocking events?

Ron said...

Erica said "I use my personal e-mail for campaign activities."

Um,you just got caught doing the opposite,so no you don't. What else are you doing with my tax dollars that you should be?

BR said...

Sorry Erica, looks like the Ardvark has proof that you responded to a partisan campaign inquiry from your parl.gc.ca account.

Or was that a "mistake", too?

Anonymous said...

Wow I guess Iggy isn't the only one who is just in it for himself, eh Erica?

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=32431218732&set=a.32430363732.45306.31779288732&theater

Alberta Girl said...

Pretty easy to say...."oops it was a mistake" when you get caught, sweetheart!

targets on a map

using a parliamentary email

hmmmm - I am still waiting for these to become the latest pseudo scandals of the MSM...

waiting....

waiting....

waiting...

sigh...guess not

HYPOCRITES!!

Jen said...

AG, Don't wait for the msm they are MUZZLED-MUZZLED that no one else outside the boundaries of the liberals and coalition parties are not to know, hear, see anything of wrongdoings.
HUGO CHAVEZ-style media working in full blast for their own kind and none other.

So, Duncan can do whatever she wants because her partners the libs did worse and are still in HOC.
How many liberals owe money to E.C which the media are "muzzled' not to ask for it?

Yet the same muzzled media have the audacity to say that the PM muzzles his mps- maybe warns them but muzzle -no.

Jen said...

Today is the 11th, of Feb,2011 and still no word from the media: CBC, CTV, Kady, FIFE, TABER, OLIVER G/M, T/S, ETC.

Oh yeah! the msm are most definitely 100% 'MUZZLED'.

Ardvark said...

And 'crickets' from Linda Duncan, the Edmonton & national media, and Erica on the follow-up to why she used the Parl.gc.ca account instead of her own private account.


Is anyone at all surprised?

Soccermom said...

Notice one of the messages said "put progressive MPs in their place"...didn't specify just any old NDP candidates....COALITION candidates are just as acceptable.

Anonymous said...

Hedy Fry's donation page also lists a parl.gc.ca account as a contact.

http://www.hedyfry.com/donate.html?cand=13

Anonymous said...

I think you need to look at where Hedy Fry's email address is lsited... On the footer of her website. Click on any link on here site and its in the same place on every page. Go to any other MP's website and you will pretty much find the same thing. It is different from letterhead...

Joanne (True Blue) said...

And 'crickets' from Linda Duncan

Well it seems she has responded to the Globe but has brushed it off.

Ardvark said...

On Fry; I agree that the link at the bottom of the page is to be expected and not out of the ordinary.

Yes I see that Joanne, but the Globe updated the story to include her comments. Her comments were not in the original version.

I guess when I, and others, asked her about the subject, since the 10th of Feb, that we were not worthy of a response. Or did the heat finally get to her?

Anonymous said...

The Globe and mail linked to you!

As a courtesy to all of those Globe and Mail readers here is something that the G&M would rather you not see.

http://thealbertaardvark.blogspot.com/2011/02/jeffrey-simpson-when-facts-dont-support.html

Joanne (True Blue) said...

I guess when I, and others, asked her about the subject, since the 10th of Feb, that we were not worthy of a response.

She would have been smarter to get back to you right away and try to nip it in the bud. Now she looks like a bit of a hypocrite going after Jason Kenny's assistant who had to resign.

Patrick said...

Erika,
do you not see any conflict of interest in being the constituency assistant AND the campaign manager....
seems like a pretty shady situation