"It's ridiculous," she said. "I just
feel bad."
Campaign volunteers spend a great deal of time making
the signs, canvassing and erecting them in the neighbourhood,
Dhalla noted. This kind of vandalism is very discouraging,
she added.
According to Dhalla, after the vandals damaged her
signs they replaced them with election signs supporting
her Conservative Party opponent in the riding Sam
Hundal.
"It is unfortunate that people and campaigns
resort to this type of cheap politics," Dhalla
said in a news release. "Campaigns are about
debating ideas and sharing a vision. It is regrettable
that there are individuals who do not respect the
right of others to voice their support by displaying
a sign."
Two arrested after election signs
vandalized
Brampton Dec. 20, 2005
CBC News
Two men have been arrested after a vandalism spree
damaged dozens of Liberal election signs in Brampton,
Ont.
Police were called Sunday night following reports
of a man cutting a sign for Brampton-Springdale Liberal
candidate Ruby Dhalla in the city 40 km northwest
of Toronto.
Liberal candidate Ruby Dhalla in 2004.
An officer on patrol then witnessed another man running
from another sign that had been damaged.
Two Brampton men, aged 38 and 43, were arrested and
charged with mischief. They are scheduled to appear
in court Jan. 20.
Police say that about 150 Liberal signs were destroyed.
Dhalla accused her political opponents of orchestrating
the vandalism.
She charged that in some cases her signs were replaced
with signs for her Conservative opponent, Sam Hundal.
Dhalla said that voters' confidence in the political
process could be shaken by such acts.
"If the average Canadian is sitting at home
watching this, it's definitely not a turn-on,"
she said. "It's an absolute turn-off that other
political parties are resorting to these cheap tactics."
Hundal said the suggestion that his campaign workers
had anything to do with vandalizing Dhalla's signs
was "ridiculous."
He added that he has seen damaged Dhalla signs, but
has also seen some of his own signs that have been
ruined.