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There’s an interesting nugget in Liberal National Membership Secretary Matt Certosimo’s decision to extend registration by a week. Certosimo warns the Liberals they should expect to be disappointed at just how many Liberal members and supporters actually cast a ballot in early April.

Last week, the party celebrated recruiting some 294,000 supporters to vote for the new Liberal chief.

“Before the March 3, 2013 “cut-off”, almost 60,000 eligible voters had registered, using the emailed link to a partially pre-filled form or, for those without email addresses in Liberalist, the hard copy registration form sent by regular mail to their home address. As of this morning, I am advised that more than 95,000 eligible voters have taken the second step in the process, by registering for the vote. …It is understood that fewer people will take the second step required to vote, no matter how convenient registration is made, so it is unreasonable to expect that registration numbers will ultimately equate to even close to the 294,002 that originally signed-up before the March 3rd “cut-off”.”

*Emphasis mine.

A democracy watchdog is nipping at the heels of Elections Canada over Liberal leadership race campaign loans it says doesn’t pass the smell test.

But Elections Canada, which signed off on the loans, says they’re above board.

Democracy Watch co-ordinator Tyler Sommer argues a close reading of the Election Act suggests the loans should actually be considered contributions, making them subject to the $1,200 legal limit.

He called on Elections Canada on Monday to “end this charade” and clarify the rules, and for the federal government to pass Bill C-21, which would tighten rules around political loans.

Sommer maintains the fuzzy rules allow long-shot hopefuls to buy their way into a race.

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Liberal leadership hopeful Martin Cauchon is telling supporters it’s a bad idea to get into bed with the NDP – a party he warns is filled with sovereigntists and socialists – even though his rival Joyce Murray says her idea of cooperating with the New Democrats and the Greens in 2015 to boot the Conservatives from power would only be a “one night stand.”

After taking a potshots Friday at both Murray and the New Democrats, he sent out a second release condemning candidate Marc Garneau for his “elitism.”

Also in Friday afternoon Liberal leadership news, Liberal long-shot candidate David Bertschi’s  national campaign director jumped ship to Murray’s campaign. His new manager said Bertschi would fight to the finish.

In a release, Chalmers said: “I admire Joyce Murray and her campaign for the Leadership of the Liberal Party. We worked together on the Stéphane Dion leadership campaign. She has a real opportunity to win this contest and I look forward to contributing in any way I can.”

See Cauchon’s releases after the jump…

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