It isn’t exactly an American-style brawl over “rigged campaigns” — not nearly as sexy as Russian dabbling in a U.S. presidential election — but Canada’s Conservatives increasingly seem to be spoiling for a fight over foreign interference in this country’s elections.

Here’s the thing, though: They may not get the argument they’re anticipating from Justin Trudeau’s government.

In fact, Conservatives and Liberals — perhaps even all parties — may soon end up on the same side when it comes to stricter controls on offshore influence in the next election. All-party unity on democratic reform — it’s been a while since we’ve heard that.

The news feeds lit up Tuesday with reports that Conservatives were now officially lodging protests over how foreign money was funnelled into the 2015 campaign to defeat Stephen Harper’s government. Some die-hard Conservative partisans were ready to declare that the whole Trudeau victory was in doubt.

Former Calgary Conservative MP Joan Crockatt has filed a 36-page complaint with the Elections Canada commissioner, alleging that she was one of the victims of this interference, which she pins mainly on a U.S. group called the Tides Foundation and an advocacy group called Leadnow.

Michael Cooper, a current Conservative MP, also demanded on Tuesday that Crockatt’s accusations be investigated. (There’s been no indication that they wouldn’t be, of course — and they should be, assuming we’re living in a non-banana-republic democracy).

“Fundamental to our democracy is that elections should be decided by Canadians,” Cooper said in his letter to the Elections Canada commissioner, Yves Cote.

This is the latest salvo on this issue from Conservatives in recent weeks. Sen. Linda Frum has been speaking out against foreigners’ election spending since last year and is apparently preparing private members’ legislation to crack down on offshore influence in Canadian campaigns.

Last week, former finance minister Joe Oliver added his voice to the Conservative chorus, writing in the National Post about the alleged influence of Tides Canada and other foreign-funded groups in the last election (in which he too was defeated).

“Had Conservatives been the beneficiaries, instead of deafening silence from progressives, a barrage of outraged accusations would be levelled at right-wing election meddling,” Oliver wrote. “However, this should not be a partisan issue. Canadians of every political stripe should agree we need to protect our democratic sovereignty by closing this gaping loophole.”

People with longer memories may recall that Conservatives — or at least the former prime minister — weren’t all that enthusiastic about limits on third-party involvement in elections. People with longer memories may recall that Conservatives — or at least the former prime minister — weren’t all that enthusiastic about limits on third-party involvement in elections.

It looks like Oliver, Frum, Crockatt and Cooper may have to take ‘yes’ for an answer.

While Canada’s elections commissioner doesn’t generally comment on individual complaints, Cote was urging stricter third-party limits just last month in testimony to a Senate committee on legal and constitutional affairs.

“We received a significant number of complaints against the involvement of third parties in the 2015 general election, and many more than had been filed with respect to the previous election,” Cote said.

“I would suggest that third-party engagement in Canada’s electoral process will likely continue to grow. For that reason, it may be time for Parliament to re-examine the third-party regime put in place seventeen years ago, with a view to ensuring that a level playing field is maintained for all participants.”

Coincidentally, the issue also seems to be on the radar of Minister of Democratic Institutions Karina Gould, who has been saying for some months now that she wants to make sure the 2019 election isn’t vulnerable to hackers, foreign or otherwise.

A story in the Toronto Star last week said the Communications Security Establishment has started its review of the risks of foreign interference in elections — a review prompted by a request from Gould and her government.

When I asked Gould’s office on Tuesday about the Crockatt complaint and the prospect of looking into foreign interference, here’s the reply I got from the minister’s spokesperson, Byrne Furlong:

“We intend to review the limits on the amounts political parties and third parties can spend during elections, and propose measures to ensure that spending between elections is subject to reasonable limits as well. We look forward to working with Parliamentarians and other partners in this important work.”

I read that as a promise to give the Conservatives (and Canada’s elections commissioner) what they’re asking for — and yes, likely stronger controls over foreign money, too.

So this isn’t shaping up to be an American-style standoff over offshore election rigging, past or future. It’s not even a reprise of the old “robocalls” controversy that arose after the 2011 election, which also included (in case anyone has forgotten) allegations of U.S. influence — though in that case it was in favour of Harper’s Conservatives.

That case involved an American firm called Front Porch Strategies; the elections commissioner ultimately found it had committed no violations of Canada’s elections law, even if it was actively helping Conservative candidates in nearly a dozen ridings.

(Foreigners are allowed to canvass, telephone and even communicate with citizens on social media on behalf of political parties/candidates. They just can’t be used to get around advertising limits.)

People with longer memories may recall that Conservatives — or at least the former prime minister — weren’t all that enthusiastic about limits on third-party involvement in elections. Back in the 1990s, the head of the National Citizens’ Coalition, a fellow named Stephen Harper (yes the same one), even went to court to argue for the democratic rights of third parties. He called the concept a “gag rule.”

That’s the wacky world of electoral reform for you. Conservatives are now in favour of third-party spending limits. Oddly enough, so are the Liberals.

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