NDP Repays $344K After Breaking Election Law

The NDP has repaid a total of $344,658 in sponsorship revenue from 2006 onward after being found guilty of breaking political financing laws. The investigation started with a complaint about union funding from the Conservative Party of Canada back in September 2011.

Conservative MP Pierre Poilievre pounced on the issue and said that if it weren’t for the complaint,  "the NDP would continue to provide a loophole to corporations and big union bosses."

The NDP’s national director, Nathan Rotman, said the party returned the money in April and May as it reflected their quarterly financial returns.

The sponsorship money that was received and spent on advertising during NDP conventions breaks down to $40,860 in 2006, $102,500 in 2009, and $102,500 in 2011.

The sponsorships constituted contributions from large unions, which is illegal under election law.

Until recently, the NDP and its leader Thomas Mulcair refused to disclose how much money it had been forced to repay after breaking the election laws.

The Conservatives are calling on Mulcair to open the books.

So why has it taken the NDP until the end of August to go public with their mistake? Why did they try to sweep it under a rug? For a party that claims to be new and fresh, they have demonstrated the same political tricks the other parties have used in the past. Do you think this scandal will effect their future outcomes? Let us know:Facebook,Twitter, Google+.