OTTAWA - The latest Conservative sting operation aimed at discrediting a prominent Liberal candidate has instead wound up embarrassing several Tory MPs, including senior cabinet minister Jason Kenney.
The operation involved a young Conservative operative who secretly recorded a conversation with Marlo Raynolds, the Liberal candidate in Banff-Airdrie, and two other men at a public meeting in Canmore, Alta., last week.
The recording purported to reveal Raynolds criticizing the Tories' recent family tax cut plan, saying it amounts to giving money to people for “arguably nothing,” only to see them spend it on TVs, cars and other things that don't benefit the economy.
The recording was given to Sun News Network personality Brian Lilley, who denounced Raynolds' comments - and, by extension, the Liberal party - on his TV show and in a newspaper column.
Blake Richards, the Tory MP for Banff-Airdrie, and two other Alberta MPs - Chris Warkentin and Kenney, the employment minister - pounced on Lilley's work to denounce Raynolds and the Liberals in the House of Commons.
Only problem? The words attributed to Raynolds were actually spoken by another individual who has publicly stepped forward to correct the record.