N.S. Liberals taking PC candidate to court after Tim Hortons gift cards handed out

The Nova Scotia Liberal Party is pursuing legal action to have a Progressive Conservative candidate removed from the ballot in the upcoming provincial election. This follows an incident in which the candidate’s campaign distributed gift cards at a Tim Hortons in Lunenburg, N.S.

However, the Nova Scotia Supreme Court has stated that it will not review the case until after the voting day on November 26.

On Tuesday, the Liberals lodged a complaint with Elections Nova Scotia, accusing Susan Corkum-Greek of "vote buying" in violation of section 327 of the Nova Scotia Elections Act. This section states that "every person is guilty of an offence who, directly or indirectly, offers a bribe to induce or influence another person to vote or refrain from voting for or against a particular candidate."

Liberal Leader Zach Churchill said the party acted after hearing from voters in the area that Corkum-Greek’s campaign had handed out gift cards. Later that day, the Progressive Conservative campaign manager in Lunenburg acknowledged purchasing $51.75 worth of gift cards, valued at $2.07 each (the price of a small coffee), to give to Tim Hortons patrons.

“The candidate did not know that had happened,” wrote campaign manager Peter Zwicker in a statement. “I am sincerely sorry that my actions have caused a distraction to a candidate I have so much respect for.”

On Wednesday, the Liberals issued a news release confirming that they filed a petition under the Controverted Elections Act, requesting the Nova Scotia Supreme Court declare this act a corrupt practice under the Elections Act. The party argues that, if granted, this finding would disqualify Corkum-Greek from running for or holding a seat in the House of Assembly.

After reviewing the petition, a spokesperson for the Nova Scotia Judiciary said the court will not schedule a date for the matter until after the election on November 26.

During a campaign appearance on Wednesday, Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Houston redirected blame from Corkum-Greek, attributing the issue to a "party volunteer" and accusing the Liberals of attempting to “weaponize the legal system.” Houston questioned the significance of the amount spent, stating, “$51 worth of Tim Hortons coffee? There's absolutely no chance in the world that Zach Churchill’s most recent event, the coffee cost less than that.”

However, the Liberal Party asserted that the Elections Act does not permit "small" bribes, emphasizing that downplaying the impact of such actions "diminishes and tarnishes the integrity of our electoral process and ultimately our democracy.” The Liberals are urging Houston to withdraw Corkum-Greek’s candidacy, at which point they would withdraw their court petition.

While Elections Nova Scotia is currently investigating the matter, its director of policy and communications, Naomi Shelton, confirmed that the office’s role is limited to referring the issue for prosecution, as it cannot directly impose any remedy.

The petition against Corkum-Greek was submitted by John Robart, president of the Liberal electoral district association for Lunenburg, and was filed in Bridgewater.