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Vancouver mayoral candidate Kirk LaPointe promises to play nice with campaign code of conduct

Is a code of conduct pledge during an election campaign a good idea or just another political gimmick?

On Thursday, Vancouver's Non-Partisan Association mayoral candidate, Kirk LaPointe, unveiled his Code of Conduct to keep the civic campaign "free of personal attacks and invasions of private lives."

The pledge — which will be signed by all NPA council and park board candidates — stipulates that signatories will:

- Refrain from undignified criticism of any other political candidate or party;
- Confine all public comments to past or current policies and programs, records, and community or public work of other candidates or parties; and
- Refrain from criticizing all aspects of competing candidates’ past or current private life not relevant to that candidate’s political or community activities.

Lapointe says that any of his candidates caught breaking the code will be required to give up their candidacy under NPA banner.

"Voters are tired of nasty campaigns that degenerate into gutter politics of personal attacks and intrusions into private lives," says LaPointe.

"Let’s set the bar high and challenge ideas instead of maligning individuals. That’s what my campaign is all about."

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While the NPA claims that this is one first 'code of conducts' of its kind in Canada, the idea seems to be catching on.

Last month, Mississauga mayoral candidate Steve Mahoney released his "Fair Campaign Pledge."

I, Steve Mahoney, candidate for Mayor of Mississauga, believe that public service is an honourable calling and I therefore pledge to run a constructive and positive election campaign by:

1. Presenting clear ideas and policies to Mississauga voters on growing and strengthening the City of Mississauga;

2. Conducting my campaign accurately and honestly and discussing the issues and participating in fair public debate with respect to my views and qualifications;

3. Not engaging in, permitting or condoning personal attacks upon the character of my opponent(s); nor engaging in invasions of personal privacy;

4. Approving all materials concerning my campaign and only disseminating campaign material and messages in which I am prominently identified;

5. Not using or permitting the use of any campaign material or advertisement that uses quotations or images taken out of context to misrepresent my candidacy, or to misrepresent the views and candidacies of my opponents;

6. Defending and upholding the right of every qualified Mississauga voter to full and equal participation in the electoral process; and,

7. Treating my opponents with courtesy and civility, even when we disagree about what is best for Mississauga’s future.

Mahoney's main opponent, Bonnie Crombie was quick to say that she wouldn't sign the document.

On the surface the intent behind these pledges should be lauded.

Anecdotally, at least, it appears that Canadian elections have become nasty affairs.

In Vancouver, for example, Vision Vancouver — the party of current Mayor Gregor Robertson — recently accused the NPA of spreading rumours about the mayor's break-up with his wife.

But, according to right-leaning political pundit Gerry Nicholls, all this talk about civility might not be what it appears.

"Politicians always pledge to be positive since there definitely is a stigma attached to negative campaigning. LaPointe's proposed Code of Conduct is simply an aggressive variation on that theme; it allows him to claim moral high ground, while putting his opponents on the defensive," Nicholls told Yahoo Canada News.

"It also suggests he is concerned his opponents will employ personal attacks against him, so he has, in effect, launched a preemptive positive strike."

Moreover, Nicholls adds that the reason campaigns engage in negative attacks is because they work.

"This Code might make voters feel warm and fuzzy about LaPointe, but it could cause him trouble down the road if it impedes his ability to respond to attacks against him," he said.

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While the codes of conducts might sound good in theory, there seems to be a lot of gray area or at least opportunities for politicians to circumvent the rules that sign on to.

Call me a cynic but what's to stop backroom political operatives, or even supporters, from spreading rumours on social media?

How do we know political parties won't leak juicy details about their opponents' personal lives to media?

And finally how does one define "undignified criticism" or "civility"? Would Rob Ford's past alcohol and drug use be deemed 'relevant' if the Toronto mayoral candidates signed such a pledge? If the Tories are bringing up issues from Justin Trudeau's personal life to suggest that he doesn't have the judgement to be prime minister, is that out of line?

What do you think? Are these code of conduct pledges a good idea curb the nastiness in our election campaigns or are they just another political gimmick?

Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.

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