<p>EDMONTON – The Tory candidate trying to wrest away the only Alberta riding his party did not win in the last election has filed an official complaint with Elections Canada alleging problems with the voter’s list.</p> <p>Ryan Hastman contends 550 names on the list in Edmonton Strathcona are invalid because individuals used the addresses of several businesses, including the Truth North Hemp Company and the Mars and Venus goth-punk clothing store.</p> <p>He says there are also voters using the address of a gas station and an empty field, as well as commercial and industrial companies, private mail boxes, storage lockers and shopping malls.</p> <p>The rules stipulate that all legitimate voters must actually live in the riding, Hastman says, and owning a business, property, storage locker or a mail box does not qualify as residence.</p> <p>Edmonton-Strathcona returning officer Micah Kozak confirmed a letter had been received from Hastman’s campaign but would not comment further.</p> <p>Elections Canada spokesman John Enright said all complaints are looked at by the commissioner of Canada Elections, though he added the protocol is not to confirm or deny the receipt of a complaint.</p> <p>Enright said while he could not comment on specific cases, he noted there are a lot of variables when it comes to proving addresses on a voter’s list.</p> <p>”If you’re saying there are a lot of businesses on the list of electors, well, have you looked above onto the second floor to see if there’s anybody in residence and renting rooms and living in those buildings?” he asked.</p> <p>”Addresses are kind of wonky in Canada – they’re not always as linear as one would think they would be. Look at the streetscape in an urban area, you’re going to see a row of businesses on the bottom row and you’re very likely going to see residences above that. It could be the store owner living there.”</p> <p>Enright said there are all kinds of definitions of an address – the important thing is for a voter at a poll to be able to prove he is a resident of that district.</p> <p>Hastman said he has requested a thorough investigation to make sure that every voter on the list is legitimate.</p> <p>”We want to make sure there is no cheating and no mistakes so the May 2 election is fought on a legal and level playing ground,” he said.</p> <p>”We have no reason to believe these bogus addresses are anything other than bureaucratic errors. But in a close race like Edmonton-Strathcona, we have to make sure there is no cheating and no mistakes.”</p> <p>Hastman said 550 addresses constititues more than the margin of victory in the 2008 election.</p> <p>”I hope and expect Elections Canada will take action to doublecheck the registered voters list and get rid of all the bogus voters,” he said.</p> <p>Incumbent Linda Duncan of the NDP could not immediately be reached for comment.</p> <p>Hastman made headlines earlier in the election after Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced that Sebastian Togneri would no longer be a volunteer in Hastman’s campaign.</p> <p>As a senior aide to a cabinet minister in 2009, Togneri demanded that government officials block the release of a document requested by The Canadian Press under Access to Information laws.</p> <p>Public Works Minister Rona Ambrose called in the Mounties to determine if charges should be laid after Canada’s information commissioner found Togneri clearly interfered with the request without legal authority to do so.</p> <p>Togneri then resigned from government but turned up as a volunteer for Hastman, a former executive assistant to Guy Giorno, Harper’s chief of staff.</p>
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