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Former minister Freeland violated election rules during 2024 byelection, watchdog finds
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Former deputy prime minister and cabinet minister Chrystia Freeland violated election rules during a 2024 byelection, the Commissioner of Canada Elections said on Friday.
The violation stemmed from comments Freeland made in response to reporter questions following a government announcement, a report from Commissioner Caroline Simard’s office said.
Freeland, who was finance minister at the time, was making the announcement in Toronto prior to the byelection in Toronto-St. Paul’s.
When asked by reporters about the upcoming vote, Freeland offered “supportive remarks” about Liberal candidate Leslie Church, the report said.
Offering support for a political candidate while using government resources could constitute a contribution to Church’s campaign.
“Ms. Freeland was unaware that those political statements made in response to unsolicited press questions could turn the bona fide costs of a government event into unlawful contributions to a federal political entity,” the report said.
The report says that the estimated costs “associated with these events” represented a commercial value of just over $900. The Liberal Party’s electoral district association in Freeland’s former riding agreed to pay that amount to the government.
Church would lose the 2024 byelection but won the riding in last April’s election. Freeland resigned as an MP last month.
Ministers are expected to avoid promoting partisan campaigns while acting in a governmental role.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre was found to have violated election rules after he wore a Conservative Party shirt to a government announcement in 2015.