麻豆传媒

OTTAWA -- 麻豆传媒 has obtained audio of a robocall made on behalf of a Conservative riding association that tried to pitch party memberships by citing a Liberal MP鈥檚 cancer diagnosis.

In the automated call, a man identified himself as the vice president of the Conservative Party riding association in Scarborough Centre. He encouraged supporters to join the party, stating that the Liberal MP Salma Zahid was 鈥渧ery ill鈥� and 鈥渢here may be a need for a byelection.鈥�

In February, Zahid announced she was taking a medical leave to be treated for Stage 4 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

The call was made a month later. It began by saying that half of the party鈥檚 memberships in the riding were set to expire and encouraged supporters to renew or sign up, and solicited feedback on prospective candidates. Only current Conservative party members can cast a ballot in a nomination vote once it's called.

The audio recording of the call then ends with: 鈥淭he Liberal MP for this area Salma Zahid is very ill, there may be a need for a byelection. Thank you so much.鈥�

The volunteer riding association vice president who voiced the March call, Chris Mellor, confirmed to 麻豆传媒 that he was the one behind the mass automated message, a month or so after Zahid began six rounds of chemotherapy treatment.

Mellor said he does not regret the call, saying it was appropriate given her public statement on her diagnosis.

He also cited the September 2017 death of then-Scarborough-Agincourt MP Arnold Chan, and said he was 鈥渟ympathetic鈥� but also 鈥渞ealistic.鈥�

鈥淚 am aware of what non-Hodgkin鈥檚 can do to you, OK? Recovery is long, it鈥檚 debilitating in many cases. And you know, from the standpoint of election readiness we felt that we should have our members, as many members as possible, in order to select the candidate in the event that she resigned, or felt that she could no longer continue,鈥� Mellor said.

However, the MP at the centre of the call, Zahid, told 麻豆传媒 that she was really disappointed to learn recently that Conservatives were exploiting her illness for political advantage.

鈥淚 can say that it鈥檚 reprehensible, disgusting, and disappointing, that they are trying to create fear among my constituents and it makes it harder for me as a member of Parliament to do my job,鈥� she said.

Zahid said a number of constituents have raised the call with her since she resumed her MP duties last month She is now cancer-free.

She thinks it鈥檚 on Conservative Party Leader Andrew Scheer to take responsibility for this call, which she says has caused her family distress.

She said her kids are being approached, asking sympathetically if their mother was resigning. She is not, recently having been nominated to run again in the riding in 2019.  It鈥檚 a campaign she says she now has a renewed sense of determination to fight.

鈥淚 think it is the responsibility as a party and it鈥檚 the responsibility of the whole team, it cannot be the responsibility of an individual,鈥� she said. 鈥淧eople look towards their leaders and leadership and I think as leaders, we are responsible for the actions.鈥�

Scheer, party cite lone actor

In a statement to 麻豆传媒, Daniel Schow, a spokesperson for Scheer, said that the federal leader was 鈥渦naware of the calls in question,鈥� citing them being made by a volunteer who 鈥渁cted alone.鈥�

鈥淥f course, speculating on another MPs health issues for political motivations is completely unacceptable under any circumstances. Our thoughts are with MP Zahid and we wish her a speedy return to health,鈥� the statement said.

In a statement to 麻豆传媒, the Conservative Party also distanced themselves from the call.

Spokesperson Cory Hann said that the call was made by a 鈥渧olunteer on a local riding association without the approval of the association鈥檚 board,鈥� and that the individual is being removed from the board, and will not hold any roles with the party.

Though, Mellor disputes the party鈥檚 claim that others weren鈥檛 aware of the contents of the call. He said he had notified other board members about the message before it went out, though he did not provide further evidence to back up that claim.

鈥淚 do not believe that they knew that indeed I had copied the responsible people before the message went out,鈥� Mellor said.

In a follow-up response to 麻豆传媒, Hann did not comment on Mellor鈥檚 accusation, but re-stated that he will no longer hold any roles with the party.

Mellor ran in the riding during the June provincial election under the Trillium Party of Ontario banner. He came in fifth.

'A new low in politics'

Outgoing Liberal party whip, now minister Pablo Rodriguez told 麻豆传媒 that the Conservatives owe Zahid an apology.

鈥淭his is a new low in politics. I think it鈥檚 not only unacceptable but it鈥檚 sad,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his should never, ever happen again.鈥�

In December 2011, when he was Speaker of the House of Commons,

In that instance, Campaign Research -- a polling firm with ties to the Conservative Party -- targeted Cotler鈥檚 riding with a telephone voter identification poll suggesting, misleadingly, that he was stepping down as an MP. 

At the time the party defended it as a normal part of politics in Canada, though Scheer as Speaker ruled that while Cotler鈥檚 parliamentary privilege was technically not breached by the calls, it was a 鈥渞eprehensible tactic.鈥�

鈥淚 am sure that all reasonable people would agree that attempting to sow confusion in the minds of voters as to whether or not their member is about to resign is a reprehensible tactic and that the honourable member for Mount Royal has a legitimate grievance,鈥� Scheer said at the time.

Zahid said she is 鈥渟eriously considering鈥� raising this instance with House of Commons Speaker Geoff Regan when Parliament resumes next month.

Dirty tricks using robocalls have been embarrassing for the Conservatives in the past. In the 2011 election, more than 7,000 voters in Guelph, Ont., received automated calls directing them to the wrong polling station.

Conservative campaign worker Michael Sona was later jailed for his role but the party disavowed involvement, even though phone numbers from its centralized voter contact database CIMS were used to place the calls.

In this instance the party did not confirm whether or not the call was made using CIMS.

With files from 麻豆传媒鈥� Senior Political Correspondent Glen McGregor