A Regina group’s 2023 ads falsely claimed NDP would give free heroin and labeled leader Wab Kinew a criminal, but elections commissioner found no election law violations.

A Regina-based group’s 2023 Manitoba election ads falsely claimed the NDP would provide free heroin to criminals, but elections commissioner Bill Bowles ruled the statements didn’t violate the Elections Act, as the law doesn’t prohibit false claims about party platforms. The commissioner called the claim clearly false, noting the NDP only supported supervised consumption sites. The group also falsely labeled NDP leader Wab Kinew as a “convicted criminal,” but Bowles said this wasn’t actionable since Kinew’s record was pardoned. The group spent nearly $34,000, was registered by a former Saskatchewan Party official, and was not found to have coordinated with the Progressive Conservatives or misused voter data. The NDP won the election, securing 34 of 57 seats.