November 12, 2010 The Daily Planet
The MP byelection in Vaughan between the Liberal candidate Tony Genco and Conservative candidate, Julian Fantino, is a deadlocked race so far – but a protest against Fantino by a Conservative group from Haldimand County could stifle Fantino’s chances of winning his endorsed seat.
Gary McHale, executive director for the Conservatives Against Fantino group, told thedailyplanet.com that the group plans to protest outside of Fantino’s campaign office every day until the election on Nov.29.McHale said Fantino’s time as Ontario Provincial Police commissioner failed to uphold law and order in Haldimand County, which subsequently corrupted their townships. McHale was a staunch opponent of Fantino during the OPP’s handling of the Caledonia standoff.
“He allowed criminals to victimize the public while his officers just stood and watched these thugs,” McHale said. “Somebody who abused the Charter so much should not be allowed to serve on Parliament.”
Merlyn Kinrade, another member of the group, told thedailyplanet.com that former Toronto police chief Fantino doesn’t deserve to be an MP.
“He allowed the county to be under attack for four-and-a-half years,” Kinrade said. “The Prime Minister endorsed him without consulting its members. You know what that says? It’s a middle finger to grassroots conservatives.”
Fantino’s campaign office was unavailable for direct comment on the protests however, in an article published by thedailyplanet.com on Oct. 12, Fantino said his conscience is clear and his reputation for mishandling his role is the result of misinformation.
“If that’s the label that people want to place on me, it’s only because they’ve gone on the net and pulled off, cherry-picked certain stories,” he said.
But McHale had a story of his own. He said that the Caledonia protests were against “thugs” who committed “heinous” crimes like kidnappings, burning down a bridge and destroying a local power station by driving a truck through the building before lighting it on fire.
“If that’s not terrorism, I don’t know what is,” Kinrade said.
When the public staged protests to bring awareness to the issues of violent crime, Fantino brought the London police riot squad and had the majority of them arrested while the real criminals got to run wild on the streets, McHale said.
“If you speak out against lawlessness or protest against him, he sees you as an enemy,” McHale said. “If you disagree with him, he uses his resources to come against his enemies. He has to understand: People have the right to speak out.”
The CAF will have its first protest outside of Fantino’s campaign office on Sunday at 1 p.m.
McHale said he plans to lead the protest for 30 minutes before touring the neighbourhoods and handing out flyers with endorsements from former officers and journalists like Toronto Sun reporter Peter Worthington and Christie Blatchford – a Globe and Mail columnist who wrote a book detailing the occurrences in Caledonia.
“I will be telling people to vote Liberal,” McHale, a conservative, said. “Maybe it will send a message to all Canadian parties to not forget the grassroots people.”