Conservative bloggers target of complaint
by Romeo St. Martin

[PoliticsWatch Updated 2:30 p.m. January 18, 2006]

OTTAWA  — Two former Conservatives have filed a complaint with Elections Canada about a network of Conservative bloggers. 

The Blogging Tories Web site provides over 100 links to other Conservative bloggers.

The complaint to Elections Canada alleges that the Blogging Tories is a contravention of the Elections Act and third-party financing laws.

Blogs have played a major role in the campaign and have even been quoted in stories in mainstream newspapers. 

The three major political parties all have supporters who are members of a community of bloggers, who share links to other members in the community on what are known as blogrolls. The blogging networks are not directly affiliated with the parties. In addition to the Blogging Tories, the Liberals have Liblogs and the NDP has The Blogging Dippers.

These blogs are made up largely of individual bloggers' analysis and opinions of the latest political developments, but some include areas where you can volunteer or donate to the party or help candidates. 

Several of the Conservative bloggers even have a slick graphic proclaiming their support for Conservative Leader Stephen Harper.

In December, Canada's chief electoral officer, Jean-Pierre Kingsley, said at a press conference in Ottawa that as far as he is concerned political blogs are a form of free expression, not political advertising. 

"I don't think that there's going to be a major problem with respect to blogs," Kingsley said in response to a question from PoliticsWatch.

"This is a means where by a lot of people have decided they are going to express themselves

"If a political party or a candidate were to have a blog then that would fall under the financing regime. But if it's the supporters, there are going to be supporters all over for various parties and it's a form of self expression."

The complaint to Elections Canada alleges that the Tory blog is a form of third-party advertising. 

In the U.S., the blogging community was up in arms last June when the Federal Election Comission held hearings to examine whether blogs provided unregulated benefits to political campaigns. 

Those hearings prompted a community of Missouri-based Democratic bloggers, led by former U.S. Senator Jean Carnahan, to seek an advisory opinion from the FEC to gain a so-called journalist exemption. 

The group of bloggers, known as Fired Up, was highly partisan, openly endorsing Democratic candidates and even raising money for them in some cases. 

"The Commission concludes that the costs Fired Up incurs in covering or carrying news stories, commentary, or editorials on its websites are encompassed by the press exception, and therefore do not constitute 'expenditures' or 'contributions' under the Act and Commission regulations," the FEC said in its opinion. 

That FEC opinion has calmed down the U.S. blogging community, who were concerned about federal regulations of their activities. 

Meanwhile, members of the Blogging Tories were outraged with the accusations levelled at them on Tuesday. 

You've got to be kidding me," wrote M.K. Braaten. "Now if I can only find where I put my Conservative Party Official Blogger™ paycheque."

Blogger Uncommontruths had the funniest headline, "Run For Your Lives and Burn The Documents, We've BEEN CAUGHT!!!"

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