More sign vandalism found in Ottawa’s west end
Posted Apr 5, 2011 04:10:15 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
More federal election candidate campaign signs have been found knocked down and broken in Ottawa’s west end.
The damage is less serious than the cross-hairs painted on over 100 signs for Liberal candidate for Nepean Carleton, and targets multiple parties.
Scott Bradley, Liberal candidate for Ottawa-West Nepean and one of the vandalism victims, said there have been several instances where signs from all the parties have been torn down.
He said that regardless of who is doing it, the behaviour is despicable.
“We’ve spoken to our volunteers and reminded them about the rules, and we are playing by the rules as well. We have reached out to our opponents and told them we would be extra vigilant and have asked them to do the same,” said Bradley.
“Frankly, I think it’s unfortunate that others have resorted to these tactics in order to damage some body’s campaign.”
NDP candidate Marlene Rivier said she trusts that the members of other campaigns are not involved, and that the vandalism has little to do with the politics.
“I’m not convinced that the people who engage in these acts of vandalism are particularly well informed politically. I think sometimes, to be frank, there are angry people out there, and an election campaign provides them with a lot of targets for that anger,” said Rivier
Liberal candidate for Ottawa West-Nepean Anita Vandenbeld said she’s disappointed to see any candidates sign vandalized.
“I think that it indicative decline in the democratic debate generally. There is a lot of the negativity in the way the politicians be-little each other; it sends the wrong message to people,” said Vandenbeld.
She also said she hopes the vandalism isn’t traced back to another candidates campaign.
All candidates agreed that this isn’t the right way to hold a political discussion.
