Scheer fundraising letter uses wrong title, asks party members to raise $19-million

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Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer has wrongly referred to his parliamentary title in a new fundraising letter that asks Tory party members to help raise $19-million this year to stay competitive with the Liberals.

The new fundraising pitch refers to Mr. Scheer as "Hon.", a designation which stands for Honourable, even though he is not listed as such on either his parliamentary website or as a member of the Privy Council.

As a former speaker of the House of Commons, Mr. Scheer would have held the title only during the four-and-a-half years he served in the post, unless he was added to the Privy Council list afterwards, a normal practice for former speakers. Ministers, however, keep the designation even after they leave office.

Conservative Party spokesman Cory Hann said the party, which sent out the letter, made a mistake.

"It was an oversight. Simple," Mr. Hann said in an e-mail. "I will say, however, negotiations are ongoing to have Mr. Scheer sworn in to the Privy Council where his 'Honourable' title will again be current."

The letter, included in an envelope stamped "personal," features letterhead with the image of Parliament Hill and Mr. Scheer's title as leader of the Official Opposition. However, the return address corresponds with the Conservative Party of Canada national headquarters in Ottawa.

A spokeswoman for Democratic Institutions Minister Karina Gould said Mr. Scheer should represent himself accurately to the public.

"We believe every Member of the House has a responsibility to represent themselves fairly and accurately, and uphold the highest standards Canadians expect of them," Byrne Furlong said in an e-mail.

According to rules set out by the multiparty Board of Internal Economy, which polices House of Commons spending, MPs cannot use parliamentary resources for party fundraising. Mr. Hann said the letter was sent using party resources.

The letter outlines for the first time Mr. Scheer's top priorities as Conservative Party leader since his surprise victory late last month. Those include building "strategic alliances" with India and other Asian democracies, as the Liberals look to expand free trade with China.

Mr. Scheer also promises a balanced budget within two years, tax savings on home energy costs, an end to corporate welfare and ridding Canada of foreign oil. He has yet to explain those policies in detail.

The fundraising pitch also uses the threat of an early election – unlikely as the Liberals hold a majority – to ask for donations to the federal party coffers.

"The next election is only two years away unless the Trudeau Government calls one sooner to try and catch us off guard," Mr. Scheer said.

Mr. Scheer says that, while his party has been focused on the leadership race, the Liberals have been "abusing their position in government" with cash-for-access fundraisers, which cost up to $1,500 to attend.

"Canada's government shouldn't be for sale to the wealthy elite who can afford these 'pay to play' fees," Mr. Scheer said.

"Just to be competitive with the Liberals, we need to raise $19-million this year. If we all pitch in, we can get there."

In fact, in the first quarter of this year, the Conservative Party raised $5.3-million in donations – almost twice as much as the governing Liberals – on top of the $4.6-million brought in by Tory leadership candidates.

The Liberal Party recently changed its rules to advertise and hold their fundraising events in public, and the government has introduced a bill to make all parties' fundraisers advertised publicly in advance.

Mr. Hann said there is "no similarity" between Mr. Scheer's pitch for money and Mr. Trudeau's fundraisers.

"It's clear that the Liberals continue to ignore their own rules. When they couldn't follow their own rules, they proposed new rules that still don't really address the cash-for-government access issue," he said.

Meanwhile, NDP leadership candidate Jagmeet Singh is holding a $400-a-ticket fundraiser in Toronto next week at the private Yorkville home of labour lawyer Don Eady and his wife, artist Elizabeth Pead, who creates landscape art out of hockey gear.

Amneet Singh, a spokesman for the NDP candidate, said the fundraiser is not posted on Mr. Singh's website but the candidate has followed the party's rules by posting it on a party website to process donations. He said all donations will be made public.

"While there is a ticket limit due to the limited number of people Don can fit in his home, anyone is welcome to donate and attend this fundraiser," Amneet Singh said.