Jason Kenney sent this flyer out in August ‘long before there was an election called,’ says his spokesperson

It sure looks like a ballot, but a spokesperson for Conservative candidate Jason Kenney says there’s no ballot depicted on the taxpayer-funded campaign-style pamphlets Kenney sent to his constituents weeks before the federal election campaign was called.

“It’s not a ballot,” says Kenney spokesperson Marie Rajic. “It’s ‘what policy would you support?’”

Brad Carroll, Kenney’s Liberal challenger in Calgary Southeast, believes Kenney abused his MP privileges by mailing out several “highly partisan” pamphlets to his constituents in August. Kenney sent out several pamphlets on crime, Senate reform and Canadian sovereignty that show a list of party leaders’ names, along with instructions to “check one.” An arrow points to Conservative leader Stephen Harper.

Other Conservative candidates have sent out similar pamphlets using their taxpayer-funded MP budgets instead of party money. “This is campaign material and it should be counted towards their campaign expenses,” says Carroll, adding he’s heard from constituents who received the pamphlets during the election campaign.

However, Rajic, who’s also the Conservatives’ regional campaign manager for Alberta, says the pamphlets were sent out in August “long before there was an election called.” (Harper called the election on September 7.)

Rajic says the pamphlets are “regular correspondence,” and that their style is consistent with past Kenney mailouts. “All the rules have been followed, and Jason Kenney regularly communicates with his constituents through these — as do Liberal MPs, as do NDP MPs across the country,” she says.

Carroll hopes to talk to the returning officer in his riding regarding the pamphlets. “My intent is to try to follow this up as much as possible,” he says.