BY VOICE STAFF
A Pelham candidate in the coming municipal election has distanced herself from an earlier endorsement made by a third-party advertiser.
Diana Huson, running for Pelham's only directly elected seat on Niagara Regional Council, released a statement on Wednesday, Oct. 17, disavowing her endorsement by A Better Niagara (ABN), a registered third-party advertiser in Pelham and other Niagara municipalities.
"I initially reached out to [A Better Niagara] because they had only endorsed one candidate for all of Pelham," writes Huson in a Facebook post. "I found this upsetting and unfair as I know we have a number of great candidates who are deserving of this acknowledgement."
Huson says that after meeting with the group she accepted their endorsement—the second for the same race. A Better Niagara had also endorsed Pelham Mayor Dave Augustyn in his bid for the seat, currently held by long-time incumbent Brian Baty.
Huson says that her decision to disavow was prompted by anti-Baty literature which ABN distributed late last week in Pelham.
The double-sided colour postcard, measuring approximately 5 x 7 inches, features an unflattering photo of Baty with the international "no" symbol superimposed over it in red.
"I have been told by a few people that mudslinging and negative campaigning is 'status quo,'" writes Huson. "I don’t agree. This is not part of my campaign, nor part of my values and as a result I asked ABN to remove me from their endorsed list. So if you’re supporting me because of the endorsement, I have turned it down."
The Niagara Independent, an online news site, recently ran a story on criticism of A Better Niagara among some observers for what they perceive as the group's left-wing bias.
ABN director Liz Benneian says that the third-party advertising rules that came into effect this year permit negative advertising.
"The flyer distributed about incumbent Regional Councillor Brian Baty is a factual account of his record as a member of the the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA), as the chair of the Board of the NPCA's Foundation and of his work as a Regional Councillor," says Benneian. "If it is perceived as negative, then it is a reflection of his record in these roles."
Environmental activist Ed Smith, ABN's Executive Director, did not reply to a request for comment. Smith has frequently criticized the NPCA, on which board Baty sits.
Asked whether Huson had requested that ABN remove its endorsement of her from their promotional materials, Benneian replied, "Yes, happy to do it."
"I believe [A Better Niagara] have good intentions, but disagree with their methods," says Huson. "It's time to do things differently and sometimes that means taking a stand on the things you think are right."
Baty thanked Huson on her Facebook page, offering her his best wishes.
Asked whether any other candidates had requested that ABN rescind their endorsement, Benneian replied, "No."
The municipal election will be held next Monday, Oct. 22.
