Manitoba premier's office faces complaint over parking-lot announcement
The complaint alleges one of the premier's advisers violated the Election Financing Act last month
Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger's office is being accused of breaking an election law by using government resources for a NDP campaign-style announcement.
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A complaint to the provincial elections commissioner, obtained by The Canadian Press, accuses one of the premier's advisers — Jim August — of violating the Election Financing Act.
The complaint alleges August, as a government worker, solicited advice from civil servants for a NDP press conference on surface parking lots last month.
The law bans political parties from using government resources for partisan announcements, and forbids any government announcements 90 days prior to an election.
Selinger says he is aware of the complaint but has not been told whether an investigation is underway.
He says he and his staff will fully co-operate with any investigation.
The NDP have been found guilty of breaking the election law on previous occasions, including a 2011 event in which then health minister Theresa Oswald took part in a media tour of a birthing centre close to election day.