Parties have ‘free rein’ with voter data, finds report, but veteran party ops say that’s vital for democratic engagement

A court case about voter privacy rights in B.C. begins this week against the backdrop of a data ‘arms race’ by the federal political parties, says Matt Hatfield of OpenMedia.

The parties led by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, left, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, are fighting side-by-side in court this week in a judicial review over how their parties use Canadian voters' personal data.The Hill Times photographs by Andrew Meade

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BY IAN CAMPBELL

April 22, 2024

Canada’s federal political parties are in an “arms race” when collecting and using voter data, say advocates calling for stricter privacy laws, but several veteran political operatives say parties need these practices to fulfill their unique democratic role.

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