Global Affairs Canada has told its diplomats in the United States not to meet or attend events with candidates in next month's US midterm elections, Global News reports, citing a memo obtained by The Canadian Press.
The memo, sent on Tuesday by Glen Linder, the department's assistant deputy minister for the Americas, says staff who end up in the same room as a candidate should avoid being photographed or named in any publicity. Meetings with elected officials who are not standing should be cleared in advance, and it urges a very cautious approach to staying non-partisan.
The instruction follows accusations from the Trump administration that Canadian politicians are trying to influence the vote. On Wednesday the US embassy published quotes from Canadian figures, including Industry Minister Mélanie Joly. Prime Minister Mark Carney and Ontario Premier Doug Ford have rejected the claims.
Source: Global News
Photo: Centre Block, Ottawa, Southeast view 20170422 1 by DXR, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Illustrative image of Ottawa.
