Video: Oshawa mayor caught putting up election signs early

A video showing Oshawa Mayor Dan Carter allegedly putting up signs 80 minutes early Sunday night and then aggressively approaching the man filming the incident is making the rounds in the city, with the man behind the camera claiming Carter ‘assaulted’ him.

Christopher Parkinson, one of the organizers of the Community Candidates Just 1 Vote slate, was out Sunday night with video camera in hand looking for candidates who were trying to put up election signs before the midnight deadline.

He found one in Carter, who told Parkinson to “go away” when the Mayor was approached. “Why do you have to cheat? You’re putting signs up illegally,” Parkinson told him, which prompted Carter to first deny – “It’s 12 o’clock” – and then get up close and put his hat in front of the camera lens.

Parkinson took offence to the Mayor invading his “personal space” and demanded Carter “get your hands off me, you fu**ing clown.”

Former Oshawa councillor Roger Bouma participated in Parkinson’s Facebook post on the subject and said Carter was only drilling holes to allow for the signs to be installed later, though Parkison showed time-stamped pictures of both Carter and councillor Tito-Dante Marimpietri signs that had been installed at least one hour early.

“Our noble and dignified councillors are again making up their own rules,” Parkinson said.

The Community Candidates Just 1 Vote slate requires candidates to sign a contract stating they will represent their community and not a political clique on all votes in council and committee.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BYQELfDvag