SURREY — Is former Surrey mayor Dianne Watts’ federal election campaign pamphlet about ISIS and Jihadist terrorists out of line?
Garry Begg, the NDP’s MP candidate for Fleetwood-Port Kells is among the many who think so.
“She was slow to react to domestic issues, law and order in Surrey,” said Beggs, a retired senior Surrey RCMP officer. “For whatever reason, she thinks she can take on all of ISIS.”
The Conservative MP candidate for South Surrey-White Rock has drawn a national publicity storm after distributing a campaign flyer that some have described as fear mongering “scare ware.”
“We will fight Jihadist terrorists at home and abroad,” it says, and co-opts a 2014 National Post headline that says “ISIS urges Jihadists to attack Canadians: ‘You will not feel safe in your bedroom.'”
Watts defended herself Wednesday.
“There was no intention to fear monger,” she told the Now. “ISIS has clearly declared Canada as a target for terrorism.
“We have seen such acts on Canadian soil with the death of our Canadian soldier in Ottawa, in Quebec, and a foiled attempt at the B.C. legislature.”
But Begg isn’t buying it.
“I’m disappointed that she overreacted and bought into the fear factor,” Begg said. “She’s bought into the myth that there’s monsters under the bed.”
Social media has not been kind either.
Commenter Don Pitcairn writes, “Maybe Watts is worried about those ‘Surreyian’ terrorists, especially since Newton already resembles a war zone and so many shootings we’ve lost count.”
Marv Jury wrote that “There are more Canadians killed in Surrey every week than Canadians killed by terrorists in a year.”
Writes Phil Byrne, “Keepin’ it classy CPC.”
Watts tried to blame Stephen Harper and the national campaign for the leaflet saying that “the national campaign has used that (style of messaging) and some people will align with that.”
“On the one hand she’s trying to blame Stephen Harper and the national campaign for her leaflet. On the other hand, she’s been tweeting some very questionable remarks on the same issues. Dianne Watts is trying to play both sides,” said NDP candidate Pixie Hobby.
“If she is truly regretful, what is she going to do to rectify the situation?” added Hobby. “Ultimately, her face and name are on the leaflet and she has to take some responsibility.”
Federal Liberal South Surrey-White Rock candidate Judy Higginbotham also attacked the election material delivered door-to-door last week by Watts’ campaign, which also included Indo-Canadians campaign volunteers.
“Creating this kind of terrorist fear-mongering in our riding goes far beyond being inappropriate,” Higgenbotham said, calling on Watts to “stiffen her backbone” and indicate to Conservative Leader Stephen Harper that such a message to Canadians is not acceptable.
“Is fighting terrorists in South Surrey-White Rock really (Watts’) top priority?” the release questioned.
Higginbotham told PAN the leaflet – which she believes was distributed by the Conservatives’ head office – implies other parties are supportive of terrorism.
“It’s one thing the Conservatives are good at – initiating trash ads, nasty ads,” she said. “To suggest that any MP would bring in, or allow jihadist terrorists into the country is nonsense.”
Higginbotham said Canada needs to respond to the current refugee crisis with humanitarian aid rather than fear tactics.
“To spread this out across Canada is trying to provoke people to fear refugees and immigrants.”
Higginbotham said she has heard from many residents.
“It was certainly not pleasantly received. Given some of the reaction, we think she would stand up and say this is not what she would endorse.”
Higginbotham – a former Surrey councillor – said she was personally “floored… taken aback” when she first saw the leaflet. She said she finds the material – quite apart from not resonating with this riding – out of character for Watts.
“I’m terribly surprised – I know Dianne Watts well and this is astounding. I think she’s being muzzled by the Conservative Party. Trying to create fear isn’t in keeping with what we know of Dianne.”
