In a previous -- and short -- column here at the Examiner, this author noted that the recent vandalism of Conservative campaign signs in Edmonton-Strathcona closely followed calls by Liberal leader Michael ignatieff to "rise up" in the 2011 election.
But perhaps it isn't just Liberal partisans who are rising up. Perhaps it's also Joel French, former University of Alberta NDP President, and current staffer for Alberta NDP leader Gary Mason.
The vandalized signs stand on a 109th street property owned by Rentex homes. French recently sent an email to Les Michaelson, the President of RentEx homes, advising him he would organize a boycott of the company if they continued to display Conservative signs on any of their properties. Now, Tory signs on another Rentex property have also been vandalized.
French has reportedly sent an apology email to Michaelson. But Michaelson isn't convinced of French's sincerity.
"As far as I'm concerned his email was just something that he did probably to make himself look good and the party that he works for look good," Michaelson remarked.
Conservative candidate Ryan Hastman isn't amused either.
"This kind of tactic — it shows a disrespect for freedom of speech, for the democratic process," Hastman declared. "Mr Michaelson is free to support the Conservatives without harassment. We certainly wouldn't harass NDP supporters and we expect everybody to play by the rules and to focus on the issues."
It isn't the first time French has declined to focus on the issues. When Parliament recently voted on the non-confidence motion that defeated the Harper government, French broadcasted racially-charged comments on his Twitter account.
"Watching all the old white men on the Conservative side of Parliament vote against the opposition motion," French tweeted.
(Apparently, French hadn't looked across electoral boundaries into Edmonton-Sherwood Park, where Tim Uppal represents the Conservatives, or Edmonton-Spruce Grove, where Rona Ambrose represents the Tories. Neither are "old white men".)
So far as the issues go, it doesn't seem like French has a very good grasp on them.
There's no evidence to suggest that Joel French had anything to do with the vandalism of Ryan Hastman campaign signs on the Rentex property, or anywhere else that such activity may have occurred. There's little reason to suspect that he's involved at all. That French has threatened the owners of the property where the vandalism took place with a boycott seems, at this point, to be entirely coincidental.
Although Gary Mason's decision to not discipline his staffer casts some serious aspersions on his judgment.
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