HALIFAX -- Elections Nova Scotia says it has formalized an agreement for the provincial Liberals to repay the cost of party mailouts sent out on the taxpayers' dime.
An agreement between the Chief Electoral Officer and senior Liberal caucus officials acknowledges that the party broke election rules when it sent 33,000 flyers into three vacant ridings during the third week of May.
The total cost of the mailouts was $7,100.74.
Because the caucus office's only source of funding is public money, Elections Nova Scotia said the mailouts violated the rules for election advertising.
Under the Election Act, a byelection campaign begins when the seat becomes vacant.
Premier Stephen McNeil said earlier in the week that the party would repay the cost of the mailouts.
The provincial NDP also said it would repay about $1,400 spent on mailouts in the vacant riding of Dartmouth South.
