Former Crosbie staffer behind anti-Liberal Facebook ads, robocalls

Have you received a robocall about the May 16 election?

It may have been from NL Strong,a group linkedto Ontario Proud, a right-wing Facebook-basedorganizationsaid tobe instrumentalin Doug Ford's victory, run by ChesCrosbie's former communications director.

"We are currently conducting phone surveys to better understand issues important to Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, and aid in meeting our organization goal of restoring stronger government to the province," Devin Drover told CBC News in an emailed statement Friday morning, after declining an interview on Thursday.

He said the group was formed to raise awareness about "bad governance" in the province and that it is notaffiliated with any political party.

Drover was Progressive Conservative Leader Ches Crosbie's communications directorduring his run in the Windsor Lake byelectionand was communications director for the Office of the Official Opposition after Crosbie was elected.

He is listed as one ofthree directors in NL Strong'sfederal non-profit incorporation information.

The group has also been paying for Facebook ads promoting Crosbieand attacking Liberal Leader Dwight Ball in his bid to become premier of the province.

Drover says the group fundraises to pay for its activities.

Ches Crosbie said he knows "virtually nothing" about NL Strong and that there is no money from his campaign going toward the group.

Ontario Proud founder advises Drover-led Proudly New Brunswick

Drover is also a director ofNova Scotia Proud and Proudly New Brunswick, both behind recentanti-Liberal robocalls in their respective provinces.

Another director of Proudly New Brunswick told CBC News the group's advisor was Ontario Proud's founder, Jeff Ballingall,aformer Harper-era Conservative staffer and employee of the short-lived Sun News Network.

The NL Strong Facebook group shares stories from local media outlets with messages like "Dwight Ball has got to go," as well as shareable memes and posts from Ontario Proud and its equivalents in other provinces like Alberta Proud and Nova Scotia Proud and the national Canada Proud group.

"NL Strong is a separate organization with its own focus on Newfoundland and Labrador," Drover said."However, we will share content on our pages from other groups if or when our goals align."

Drover said he originally named the Facebook page NL Proud but changed it to NL Strong after he found another group called NLProud was already operating. That group shares memes, videos and stories criticizing all parties.

Zack Best, a founder of NL Proud, said his group was set up in an effort to blockthe spread ofgroups like Ontario Proud to Newfoundland and Labrador.

Canada Proud formed to 'defeat Liberals'

Ontario Proud raisednearly $460,000 in corporate donations and unabashedly promoted Doug Ford's Progressive Conservatives in last spring's Ontario election, posting a steady stream of viral videos and memesmocking Ford's opponents to its Facebook page.

Ballingalllaunched Canada Proud after Ford's victory,tellingipolitics.cathe group was formed with the express purpose of taking down Justin Trudeau's Liberals, adding, "We want to defeat Liberals all over the country."

The national and provincial Proud groups often make the same posts, sharing the same memes and stories many from right-wing site the Post Millennialwith the same teasers.

No third-party advertising rules in N.L.

As per the province's regulations, OntarioProud was a registered third-party advertiser in the Ontario electionthe first since the province introduced legislation forbiddingpolitical parties from takingdonations from corporations orunions.

In Newfoundland and Labrador, there are no Elections NL rules requiring third-party advertisers to register, nor are there limits on what they can spend.

Third-party spending may be attributed to a candidate if the candidateknew about it and approved.

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