Montreal candidates spar over illegal robocalls

Projet Montral mayoralty candidate Richard Bergeronisrefusing to accept an apology from opponent Marcel Ct, who has admitted his campaign made close to 1,000 robocallscritical of Bergeron's party without identifying who paid for them.

The 986 automated calls made to residents of several electoral districts broke election rules because they failed to mention they were paid for by Ct's coalition.Instead, the recorded message said the calls were from an "independent research firm.

'Honest mistake,' Ct says

Ct says it was an honest mistake that he reported himself to the chief electoral officer.

He said he accepts responsibility for what happened, althoughthe mistake was made by the company hired to make the calls.

He saidcampaign staff were busy preparing for a debate and didn't properly verify the text of the calls.

"It was a mistake, I takefull responsibility, saidCt.

The calls linkProjetMontralelected officials toa "funding controversy" one that the incumbentProjet Montralborough mayor in Plateau Mont-Royal, Luc Ferrandez, callsa complete fabrication.

"They have no grounds," Ferrandeztold host Bernard St-Laurent in an interview on CBC Montreal'sRadioNoon, calling for a "campaign of ideas" and not "cheap shots."

'Tea Party tactics,' Bergeronretorts

Bergeron said he doesn't believe Ct's version of what happened calling the calls "odious" and "dishonest" and part of a deliberate smear campaign.

"These tactics were invented by the Tea Party in the last decade in the U.S.," Bergeron said. "I think that our society deserves to stay free of these very dirty tactics."

Bergeronsaid he will file a complaint with the province's chiefelectoral officer, saying the calls were odious and dishonest.

Ct in turn accusedBergeronofoverreacting to the robocall campaign.

"To associate that with the Tea Party istotal exaggeration," he said. "It's totally distortion."

Ct saidall campaigns conductsuch research surveys, and while he apologizes for not identifying his coalitionin this instance, he said this type of research will continue.

Bergeron has filed a complaintwith the province's chief electoral officer, Elections Montreal and the telecommunications regulatory agency, the CRTC.

Coderrealso lays complaint

Mayoral candidate Denis Coderre, a former federal Liberal cabinet minister,also said he will file a complaint, even though he wasn't targeted by the calls.

"I think its disgusting. I'm totally against that. This is not [our] kind of politics.I despise that," Coderre said.