Two arrested after election signs vandalized
Last Updated: Tuesday, December 20, 2005 | 9:52 AM ET
CBC News
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.
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.
Liberal candidate Ruby Dhalla in 2004.
Police say that about 150 Liberal signs were destroyed.
- RIDING PROFILE: Brampton-Springdale
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.
