‘Hatred and vitriol’

Dear Editor:

Is this what a democratic election looks like in 2021? Is it okay to slash in half, tear from their posts, spray paint, steal or even, in one case, attempt to burn Liberal Party campaign signs in Wellington-Halton Hills? All of this and more has been done to Liberal signs.

In just two weeks well over 30 Liberal Party signs have been damaged or outright destroyed. Those who perpetrate this should know that it is a serious crime under the Criminal Code and the Canada Elections Act.

Nationally, the party leader has been harassed and threatened at almost every campaign stop. This is something I would expect south of the border from right-wing extreme followers of Donald Trump.

Such hatred, vitriol, bullying and intimidation have no place in a Canadian election campaign. All party leaders must condemn such tactics in the strongest possible terms. And voters need to decide with their votes what kind of political environment they want to nurture in the years ahead.

Harvey Thomson,
Fergus