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January 27th, 2016

Liberals Use Pre-Budget Survey to Fill Their Data Bank

The Liberals are filling up their data bank these days. The Liberal Party website is asking the public for its say on the next federal budget—but when you complete their survey, you are asked to provide a wealth of information that will be used for partisan purposes and political fundraising.

“Suggesting that the opinions gathered in this survey will be used in the government budget is misleading,” said NDP Ethics critic Alexandre Boulerice (Rosemont—La Petite Patrie). “If the Liberal Party really wanted to know Canadians’ priorities they’d hold pre-budget consultations in Parliament, as is normally done, or use a government and not a partisan website. This tactic is misleading and doesn’t pass the ethics test.”

By participating in the survey, Canadians provide personal information like their name, address, age and telephone number. The Liberal Party will be able to keep this information indefinitely and use it for future partisan activities.

“The Liberals can’t fill up their partisan data bank by misleading Canadians and using a process that normally comes under government responsibility. This is not the kind of change Canadians asked for,” said Boulerice.