Liberal, PANB and Green signs destroyed or stolen throughout the southern end of the riding
Frustration is mounting among Carleton-York provincial election candidates as vandals deface, destroy or steal election signs within the riding.
Liberal candidate Chris Duffie and PANB hopeful Sterling Wright noted the only signs not targetted by vandals are those of PC incumbent Richard Ames.
While Duffie said he doubts Ames condones that type of behaviour, he said some extreme PC supporters are sending a “scary” message. He said the use of hate symbols as part of the vandalism indicate “some angry and hateful people” are involved.
PANB candidate Sterling Wright expressed his frustration in a social media post, noting that the PCs were the only party spared the vandalism.
“The only signs left standing were Richard Ames. My signs, the Liberal and Green signs all trashed,” Wright wrote in a Facebook post. “I know that the PC Party has a weird sense of entitlement to your vote but this behaviour only reinforces my belief that a change is needed.”
Ames’ campaign manager, Dustin Brownlow, condemned the vandalism.
“We one hundred per cent condemn these activities,” he said. “Volunteers work hard to put those signs up.”
Brownlow said the vandals’ actions do not represent Ames or the party.
Duffie said the sign vandals targeted the Mactaquac, Keswick and Hainesville areas of the large riding which stretches from Lakeland Ridges to the outskirts of Fredericton.
He said the type of damage varies, including cutting out the candidates’ faces, spray painting obscene messages and hate symbols, breaking the signs or knocking the signs down and running over them.
Duffie said it wasn’t a one-time occurrence.
“I replaced some signs and it wasn’t 24 hours before the vandals hit again,” he said.
Duffie believes the hate symbols are designed to instill fear.
While he agreed with Brownlow that these actions don’t represent the majority of PC voters, Duffie suggested the actions represent “a select few” who are motivated by the tone of debate championed by Premier Blaine Higgs.
“It’s because of the Higgs propaganda,” Duffie said.
He cited Higgs’ and some PC candidates’ criticism of teachers as an example of a type of vitriol which shouldn’t be part of an election campaign.
“Teachers are not in the business of misleading parents,” he said.
In addition to the dozens of defaced and destroyed signs, Duffie said someone stole more than 60 of his lawn signs from the front yards of his supporters.
He said the sign vandals and thieves indicate a problem within political discourse and debate.
“We’ve got to shift the narrative,” Duffie said.
