Leitch’s attackers must be denounced

Last week, federal Conservative leadership candidate Kellie Leitch was subject to a mean, divisive and nasty attack.

Sadly, few prominent people came forward to denounce it.

On Wednesday, it was revealed an unidentified person or persons took to the roof of the Ontario MP’s Collingwood constituency office to hang a hateful banner suggesting Leitch bore some responsibility for the deaths of the six men killed in the Quebec City mosque attack.

“Hate puts us all at risk” the banner read, before listing the names of the men.

It ended with the line “resign Kellie Leitch”.

It’s disturbing that people would use a despicable shooting that has left a nation in mourning to score cheap political points.

Nobody knows who put up this banner and police are investigating the incident.

Still, this was the perfect opportunity to call for unity, both within the Conservative leadership race and in the general political climate as well.

It’s simply unacceptable for an MP and former cabinet minister to be harassed like this. The culprits need to be denounced.

Yet, nobody came out to unequivocally condemn this nasty smear.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who has spoken out on troubling incidents in the past, was silent on the issue.

Sadly, none of Leitch’s leadership rivals came to her defence, either.

Likewise, most of the media were far more interested in discussing the resignation of Leitch’s campaign manager, Nick Kouvalis, to bother with any followups on this troubling incident.

Leitch has faced considerable abuse for putting forward her campaign proposal that Canada should do more to promote Canadian values when screening prospective immigrants and refugees.

She has taken all of the vicious criticism in stride and has not stooped to the same mean-spirited low blows as her detractors.

Opinion surveys indicate a majority of Canadians like Leitch’s idea, though it would be better to see more specifics about how this could be implemented in a fair way to promote an inclusive and tolerant Canada.

Leitch has repeatedly stressed she believes Canadian values include multiculturalism, women’s rights and gay rights. We agree.

“Hate puts us all at risk” is the right sentiment.

Too bad the person or persons behind that nasty poster do not practice what they preach.