The Toronto Star explains how Joe Volpe bought memberships for potential Liberal party members, some unknowingly.

One of the people who received a Liberal membership card, has been dead for seventeen years. Another, for six months before he apparently signed-up. Others yet, were solicited by phone and told their memberships would be paid for, presumably by Volpe, if they just agreed over the phone. No signatures necessary.

This all follows the revelation that Volpe was a puppet for a big pharmaceutical company, who circumvated campaign-finance rules by having their children, who were minors, to donate to the Volpe campaign.

This can't prove good for the Liberal's chances in Quebec one bit. In the last federal election, Quebec was a huge part of tossing the Liberal's out of power for the Sponsorship Scandal. Now, they're confronted with a Liberal leadership candidate essentially trying to buy votes for the Liberal Party, targeting their province.

Is this how the federal Liberals try to win back votes in Quebec? Fellow leadership hopeful Stephan Dion said "I'm aware of the concerns. I don't have the answers. It will be for the camp of Mr. Volpe to answer. I have confidence in Joe's honesty,". Well, so much for a strong denouncment of these actions from the Party's leadership hopefuls.
Farnwide gets it:

I think it is clearly time for prominent Liberals to publicly demand Volpe withdraw. For a party desperate to present a new image, Volpe guarantees a steady diet of unseemly coverage that detracts from the goal.