Conservative skulduggery?

Someone out there in Vancouver-Kingsway is worried about the De-Elect Emerson signs going up all over the riding. In addition to the odd sign being stolen – which the De-Elect Emerson folks will happily replace – someone has been leaving in sign-owner’s mailboxes what looks to be an official letter from the City of Vancouver regarding political signs.

City bylaws prohibit the placement of political signs on city property, and every riding association CEO, secretary and president knows this. Still, in the heat of an election some ridings do break the by-law, intentionally or not, and eventually the riding association will get a phone call or letter from the city informing them that signs have been impounded and that they’ll be assessed a fee. Typically its the riding president, secretary or “CEO” (an Election Canada assigned title) that receives the communication from the city.

In a foolish attempt to intimidate riding residents, someone in the Grays Park area is trying to impersonate the city by leaving part of an actual city letter in sign-owner’s mailboxes. This letter is of course fraudulent, confirmed by the city:

Date: Thu, 06 Apr 2006 08:38:37
From: Rockett, Alan

… yes you are completely entitled to have the sign on your private property. It looks as though someone in the neighbourhood has copied the letter regarding election signs on city property, is copying it, and leaving it in mailboxes around your area. I have had other people ring me regarding this letter. By chance is there any official letter head from the city at the top of the letter??

Thank you for your inquiry and again, you are completely entitled to have the sign on your property.

Regards,

Alan Rockett
Street Activities Coordinator
City of Vancouver
604.873.7339

It turns out what is being left in mailboxes appears to be a copy of a real letter sent out by Mr. Rockett during the last election that has had the top half (city letterhead logo and original addressee) cut off.

All this skulduggery begs questions: Is the Conservative riding association, or anyone connected with it now or during the last election, behind this set of circumstances? Or has some hapless party member taken matters upon themselves?

These are reasonable questions to ask. The Conservative riding association ought to take pro-active steps and contact their membership to demand this activity stops. Impersonating city officials, trespass, and tampering with or removing private property (lawn signs) are offenses which may lead to prosecution.

I’m going to write the Vancouver-Kingsway Conservative Electoral District Association president, Marilyn Brown, and the two BC-based Conservative Party National Councillors – Byng Giraud and Ray Leitch – and suggest that the party take steps to stop this. A quick check of their membership list from CIMS for members who live in the Grays Park area ought to turn up some suspects who could be gently nudged to do the right thing.