The Ontario NDP is demanding an inquiry into the financial activities of Brampton East MPP Hardeep Grewal (Photo: www. hardeepgrewalmpp. ca)
A Brampton Progressive Conservative MPP, already facing scrutiny over hotel costs and taxpayer-funded ads, is now hit with a new allegation claiming violations related to election finances from his 2022 provincial campaign.
Brampton East MPP Hardeep Grewal is at the center of a complaint submitted to Elections Ontario by the Ontario NDP. The complaint states that his 2022 election campaign didn’t disclose advertising that ran in the Punjabi Post, a newspaper in Peel Region owned by his father, Jagdish Grewal.
As reported by , which first highlighted this new complaint on Thursday, the NDP argues that campaign s were in the paper throughout the 2022 election period without being declared as campaign expenses. The complaint further claims some ads were released during the election advertising blackout period when new political ads are banned under Ontario’s election regulations.
Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles has requested Elections Ontario look into whether these ads constituted an undeclared contribution to Grewal’s campaign.
In a statement given to , Grewal admitted that the s weren’t paid for at first but mentioned that this issue has since been addressed.
“The 2022 s were billed by the Punjabi Post to the campaign and were inadvertently not paid,” Grewal said, according to .
“They have since been paid and I have reached out to Elections Ontario for further direction to rectify this situation.”
Grewal also stated that his campaign did not give permission for ads to run during the blackout period and expected media outlets to follow election ad guidelines.
This complaint adds another challenge for Brampton East MPP, who has faced increasing scrutiny lately over his expense reports.
Earlier this week, the Ontario NDP asked Ontario’s Integrity Commissioner to investigate Grewal after it was disclosed that his constituency office had used public funds for ads in Punjabi Post, which is operated by his father.
These ads included promotions for constituency events like a summer barbecue.
At that time, Grewal recognized he should have sought advice before placing ads in a family-run publication.
“The Punjabi Post is a popular ethnic news outlet in Brampton-a community with a large Punjabi-speaking population. Political parties of all stripes have advertised with the Punjabi Post,” Grewal stated earlier this week.
“Before advertising, I should have consulted with the Integrity Commissioner and have since reached out to her office for advice.”
The Integrity Commissioner’s office confirmed they received the complaint but hasn’t indicated if they will launch a formal investigation yet, as per .
The current Elections Ontario complaint stands apart from the Integrity Commissioner issue and specifically addresses alleged reporting failures concerning campaign finances during last year’s provincial elections. Elections Ontario has not made any public announcements about starting a formal inquiry yet. p>INsauga’s Editorial Standards and Policies
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