NDP ripped for negative attack
Postcard handed out at event left some critics feeling ‘violated’
About 100,000 people hit the streets of Vancouver Saturday for the annual Vaisakhi celebration, featuring a parade, music, colourful fashion and delicious food.
And vote-hungry politicians, of course. No pol with half a brain would dare miss the biggest IndoCanadian shindig of the year.
Premier Christy Clark and NDP Leader John Horgan were both there sporting their finest Vaisakhi threads. But did Horgan’s NDP cross the line with a highly partisan attack on Clark’s Liberals?
That’s the question that blew up on Indo-Canadian talk radio after an NDP postcard printed in English and Punjabi — with the headline “CHRISTY CLARK IS NOT THERE FOR YOU” — was distributed at the event.
“I think a lot of people, even a lot of New Democrats, felt violated by it,” Harjinder Thind, the popular talk-show host at Red FM, told me Wednesday.
“Is nothing sacred? They exploited Vaisakhi to make a political attack. Yes, it’s a fun community celebration, but it’s also a religious procession. Would they do the same thing at a Christmas event?”
Thind points out that Vaisakhi marks the founding of the Khalsa or the “Community of the Pure,” the worldwide body of men and women initiated into the Sikh faith.
“It’s an inappropriate place to score partisan political points,” he said, adding the issue has been a hot topic on his radio show this week.
“Most of my listeners agree with me.”
The two-sided postcard has a picture of Horgan on the front and a long list of gripes against Clark on the back.
“Christy Clark is underfunding our hospitals,” the card says. “B.C. has the longest wait times in Canada and families are paying more to care for aging parents.”
The postcard also slammed Clark for hiking B.C. Hydro and ICBC rates while underfunding schools.
“We want our children to reach for the stars, but instead their parents are reaching for their wallets.”
NDP spokeswoman Trish Webb said the postcard was one of many freebies at the party’s official Vaisakhi table.
“We also gave away candy, stickers, balloons and bubble makers for the kids,” Webb said. “I don’t think we have anything to apologize for. We didn’t get a lot of complaints.”
And for the record, Webb said the NDP would not hesitate to distribute the same postcard at a Christmas party.
“Christy Clark is sticking it to the middle class and we’ll stand up for people every time,” she said.
The Liberals declined to comment, though an official said a Clark postcard was distributed at the event, too. It featured a picture of Clark in a traditional sari with a “Happy Vaisakhi” message and no mention of the NDP.
But I expect the Liberals will remember this one and look for payback later. It appears Horgan is determined to back up his threats to wage a nasty and negative campaign against Clark, who will not sit back and take it.
The election is a year away. It will be fire versus fire.