Conservatives redefine the meaning of ‘proactive cooperation’ in describing their response to investigations into alleged voter fraud

Recent media reports have revealed some interesting new things about the investigation into allegations of fraudulent calls made during the 2011 federal election campaign:

• Conservative campaign workers only now have agreed to be interviewed by investigators, 19 months after the election.
• It took three months before Conservative lawyer Arthur Hamilton called back Elections Canada to answer questions.

Despite this apparent foot dragging by Conservatives, party operatives continue to use the word ‘proactive’ to describe their involvement with Election Canada’s investigation. We can only assume that Conservatives have a very different idea of what proactive cooperation means.

“In fact, the Conservative Party proactively reached out to Elections Canada and continues to assist them in any way we can.”
– Conservative Party Spokesman Fred DeLorey, Globe and Mail, September 10, 2012

“We have said all along that we are working proactively with Elections Canada.”
– Pierre Poilievre, House of Commons, December 3, 2012

“We are proactively co-operating with Elections Canada”
– Pierre Poilievre, House of Commons, November 30, 2012

“We are working proactively with Elections Canada to find out what happened there”
– Pierre Poilievre, House of Commons, November 20, 2012

“We are working with Elections Canada proactively to ascertain what exactly happened.”
– Pierre Poilievre, House of Commons, November 20, 2012

“We continue to work with Elections Canada, proactively, to ascertain exactly what happened there.”
– Pierre Poilievre, House of Commons, November 20, 2012

After months of stonewalling, Canadians deserve better.