I've asked each candidate in my riding to respond to the following email. Below are their responses.

Dear Sir,

Since we’re into an election, I’d like to give you the opportunity to distance yourself from the deluge of 10% mailings we’ve seen in this riding.

Question:
————–

Do you feel that the flyers we’ve been sent are a legitimate use of taxpayer money? If yes, please explain how this is so.
(see scanned versions of the 20 I’ve received here: http://www.stopsendingmecrap.ca/flyers.php)

Supplementary Question:
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If you’re elected, can you promise that you will never send flyers like this into other ridings?

I look very forward to your response.

Sincerely,
—-<snip>—–

Now, the responses (unedited, in their entirety):

From Dana Larsen (NDP). Received September 7.

Hi ----,

Your message made me chuckle, because I have also received a deluge of these mail-outs from the Conservatives.

Aside from being annoying, these flyers seem to violate election law because they are partisan campaign flyers, and not merely informational as they are supposed to be. The NDP has actually raised this issue in Parliament.

I can't promise that I would never use my 10% outside-of-riding mailing privileges when I become an MP, but I can definitely promise that I would never abuse my mailing privileges in such a partisan way as the Conservatives are now doing.

I would also support ending the whole 10% mailing privilege as it seems unnecessary and too open for such abuse.

These mail-outs remind me of the Conservative Party's battles with Elections Canada over their "in and out" money scheme for campaign advertising. Harper's Conservatives seem prepared to bend and break any election rules if it will help them to win some more votes.

Thanks for your email. I hope this answers your questions.

From Blair Wilson (Green). Not received yet.

From John Weston (Conservative). Not received yet.

From Ian Sutherland (Liberal). Received September 8.

I would not send mailings into another riding. It is not a proper use of taxpayer money, in my opinion.