Tempers flare in B.C. recall campaign

The recall campaign targeting B.C. Liberal cabinet minister Ida Chong is heating up, as both sides accuse each other of wrongdoing and intimidating voters in the battle for public support.

More than 160 registered recall campaigners have 60 days to collect more than 15,000 signatures from eligible voters to force a byelection in Chong's riding of Oak Bay-Gordon Head, near Victoria.

Fight HST campaign organizer Chris Delaney says the Independent Contractors and Business Association of B.C. is using advertisements and a website to scare people into not signing the recall petition.

"They're trying to smear the campaign by calling canvassers losers and defeated and disgraced and this kind of thing really, really dirty politics," said Delaney, who is calling for a boycott of the organization.

"They're going a little bit over the top. They are trying to intimidate voters. They're trying to say you'll have to give away information to people you don't know."

The recall campaign was officially launched on Tuesday to try to force the Liberal government to repeal the HST it rolled out in July.

Before the recall campaign was underway, the NDP had already accused the B.C. Liberals of running defamatory radio advertisements, a claim that the Liberals denied.

Vandals target headquarters

Meanwhile at Ida Chong's Stop the Recall headquarters in Saanich, police are investigating a break-in, and organizerssay they suspectanti-Chong vandals are at work.

Chong's campaign manager, Lynn Henderson says she's received complaintsabout recall campaignerstargeting residents who refuse to sign the recall petition with verbal abuse.

"One lady was at her dentist's office and they hollered out 'Shame' when she wouldn't sign. So they're being a little intimidating to people," said Henderson.

Chong, who is Minister of Science and Universities and Minister of Regional Economic and Skills Development, says recall canvassers arespreading misinformation about what the recall's campaign will accomplish.

"I've already heard from some people who have been approached, that they have felt that some misleading information was provided to them," said Chong.

"Recalling Ida Chong will not get rid of the HST," she said. "The only outcome of a successful recall will be a byelection, which will cost taxpayers $1.1 million dollars."

Aggressive campaigners

Recall campaign organizer Mike Hayes called the claim ridiculous, and in the same breath, threw out an allegation of his own.

"There was someone going around yesterday saying he was an Ida Chong observer [who] refused to give his name, who was in fact quite aggressive in inserting himself between canvassers and people who were signing," said Hayes.

Despite the allegations, both sides say they have thoroughly trained their volunteers to take the high road.