An organizer in the Fight HST campaign is calling for criminal charges against the mayor of Pemberton after he removed a campaign sign from public property near his home.
Mayor Jordan Sturdy admitted to CTV News that he took down a sign that was near his farm on the weekend, but anti-HST campaigners say it was nowhere near his property.
"I was there when that sign went up. I couldn't even see his property where it was," Sea-to-Sky corridor campaign head Kelly Carson told ctvbc.ca.
Carson said she was notified about the "theft" by someone who said they witnessed Sturdy putting it into his vehicle and driving away. Carson said he later admitted the removal, but she is nonetheless sickened by the incident.
Thousands of dollars in signage for the anti-HST campaign have been removed, she added, but this is the first such incident in the area.
Sturdy told CTV News that he took down the sign because he didn't want anyone to think that he opposed the harmonized sales tax, or was taking a hard stance on the debate.
Carson said the removal demonstrates how close Sturdy is with the government's position on the HST.
"As a politician this is a big mistake for him. He's marginalizing the very people who voted for him. I'm sure he didn't mind being associated with people who oppose the HST during his election," she said.
The incident has been reported to the Squamish RCMP. It is still unclear if they will take any action.
Carson said she would like to see the mayor brought up on theft charges and serve some community service time.
"If guys like him can just go around and rip them out of the ground – it's just not fair. It's undermining our campaign. It's theft at the worst and it's ignorant," she said.
