P.E.I. PC MLA appears to pocket Green campaign flyer in online video

Green Party leader calls for laws that address tampering with campaign material

Greens want P.E.I. laws changed after video appears to show PC MLA pocketing election campaign flyer

A video posted online this week that appears to show a Progressive Conservative campaign volunteer removing a flyer from a door has P.E.I.'s Green Party leader wondering how often such an act happens.

The video, posted to Reddit about a week before a byelection in Cornwall-Meadowbank, appears to show the volunteer taking a flyer from a door and passing it to Georgetown-Pownal PC MLA Brendan Curran. Curran appears to pocket the flyer, then puts it back, gesturing to the camera.

Green Party Leader Matt MacFarlane told CBC News he has seen the video and zoomed in on it, and that "it does appear to be one of our flyers."

"It's disappointing to see what does quite clearly to me appear to be an attempt to take one of our flyers," he said.

"It leaves me wondering, is this a one-off or is this happening more frequently? Because once you go to the door and leave your flyer, you don't always get a chance to go back again. So that flyer is what that voter gets from a party to show that we cared enough to go."

CBC News has not been able to verify who owns the footage or posted it online.

CBC News reached out to Curran and the Progressive Conservatives and received an emailed response from a party spokesperson that stated the "actions shown in the video do not reflect the expectations we have for anyone representing" the party.

"The matter has been addressed with those involved, including all volunteers participating in the campaign, and expectations have been reinforced," the statement reads.

District 16 byelection called for July 13 to fill seat of Mark McLane, who died in March

Progressive Conservative Brendan Curran wins byelection in P.E.I.'s District 2

The Greens said they've shared the video with Elections P.E.I. Its CEO said in an emailed statement that there is nothing in the province's election laws to stop someone from tampering with campaign material.

"Elections P.E.I. does not have any authority to enforce any penalty, as there are none for something of this nature," the email reads.

"We have noted this for future amendments to the legislation."

Some other provinces, as well as Elections Canada, do have laws for circumstances like these.

Four years ago, a Calgary Liberal MP had to pay a $500 fine after a doorbell camera captured him removing another candidate's campaign flyer and replacing it with one of his own.

MacFarlane said P.E.I. needs similar laws.

"It's not cool to be going around behind other hard-working candidates and undoing or undermining the work that they're doing," he said.

"We just want to have a nice, fair campaign across all political parties. All voters get the information they need to make an informed decision at the poll."

Lucas McInnis is a journalist at CBC Prince Edward Island. He can be reached at lucas.mcinnis@cbc.ca.