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Rules around Manitoba government advertising need to be clarified: report

Ontario election results 2014
A voter casts their ballot. Getty Images

A former commissioner of Elections Manitoba says the province needs to clarify rules around government advertising, especially during election periods.

The province hired Michael Green last year to review the law and regulations that dictate what kind of taxpayer-funded advertising and promotions are allowed.

Green says the law, which bans most government public communications during elections and byelections, is not very clear and that has led to confusion.

Green’s report says some public bodies, such as the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, stop posting information online to avoid any chance of running afoul of the law.

READ MORE: Pallister hints at early Manitoba election call

His report calls for legislation to be changed to clarify that ongoing government information campaigns can continue during elections and byelections.

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The report also says government communications during byelections should only be restricted in the area where the byelection is being held, not provincewide.

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