'I'm not some villain in this story:' Mayoral candidate Sutcliffe decries 'trolls'

Ottawa mayoral candidate Mark Sutcliffe is issuing a call for civility, saying community members and elected officials who have been attacking him are contributing to a “toxic environment” at city hall.

“I expected the trolls,” he told CTV Morning Live on Tuesday. “What I didn’t expect was there are some people who don’t think they’re trolls, but they behave like trolls."

“There are people who are even in elected office or have other roles in our community who want a certain outcome in this election, they’re supporting another candidate, and they think that makes it OK to behave in an abusive fashion, or to be bullying or personally attacking the people who are also running for the same job,” he added.

“I think those people, some of the people I’m talking about, should know better, frankly, and they shouldn’t be contributing to what has become a toxic environment in politics, including Ottawa City Hall.”

Sutcliffe did not name names. But the media personality and entrepreneur has faced heat on social media for what critics say has been a divisive approach to some issues in the campaign. For example, Sutcliffe has said he won’t declare a ‘war on cars’ or any other means of transport.

Sutcliffe is one of 14 mayoral candidates in the Oct. 24 election, along with city councillor Catherine McKenney, former mayor Bob Chiarelli and others.

Sutcliffe made his remarks in an interview Tuesday when he was asked what the biggest surprise of the campaign has been to him so far. He said his 13-year-old son has read some of the criticism online and heard about it at school.

“It is something you worry about, what you might encounter and what your kids might encounter,” he said. “They’ve heard about stuff at school, their friends know that their dad’s running for mayor, and their friends read stuff online and repeat it to them,” he said. “I don’t think any family should have to experience that.”

“There’s lots of stuff online, I’m sure all the candidates experience it, it’s not just me,” he said. “If you want to attack the ideas that I’m putting forward or my vision for the city that’s one thing. But the personal attacks against my integrity and my honour, I don’t think that’s right,” he added.

“I’m just putting my hand up and saying I’m ready to serve my community as mayor of Ottawa if you want me. And if you don’t, that’s fine. I’m OK. Life will go on. But I’m not some villain in this story. I’m just a guy trying to serve my community.”

Some current city councillors who aren’t running for re-election have cited the increased online abuse as a reason they aren’t remaining in public life.

McKenney, who identifies as trans non-binary, has consistently faced attacks on social media throughout their two terms on council.

"For three and a half weeks this February I got an incredible amount of hatred and vitriol for just doing my job,” McKenney said in an interview.

“It’s one thing to be criticized. We always have to be open to being criticized – sometimes that can be hurtful, but that is our role,” they added. “But if it falls into a place of hatred there’s really no place for that.

A spokesman for Chiarelli said he was unavailable an interview but sent a statement.

“The only really mean social media I have seen in this campaign has come from the Sutcliffe Campaign and was aimed at Councillor McKinney” (sic), the statement said.

Another mayoral candidate, Param Singh, said he has noticed heavy backlash for many candidates on Twitter.

“Although I love the spirit of debate and questioning platforms some of it is scathing and in bad form,” Singh said in a statement. “But what we need to do as candidates is to cut the noise and focus on why we are here.”Sutcliffe said it’s unacceptable in any environment.

“I know some people would say…if you didn’t want any of that, you shouldn’t have gone into politics,” he said. “But we don’t say that about other jobs. If a workplace is toxic or if there’s bullying happening in schools, we don’t say, ‘Oh, you shouldn’t work there if you don’t want that environment.’ We try to fix it.”

Mayoral candidate Mike Maguire says he has been getting social media backlash.

“Quite a bit, it is a common occurrence. Every time you send a tweet there is going to be people who like it and some who don’t like it. The environmental stuff gets really polarizing set of responses.”

Maguire has run for mayor before but says there have been more attacks this time around.

“More in the sense that it is more social media orientated so it is much easier to be anonymous and pass along things you don’t like. My focus is that there are only 24 days to go and I am making the most of everyday.”

Sutcliffe says tax plan will be ‘based on reality’

Sutcliffe has not yet unveiled his fiscal plan, and said they would have a “very clear answer” on his tax plan soon. But in the meantime, he criticized other candidates’ tax pledges as unrealistic.

“Bob Chiarelli has said he’s freezing taxes—that’s not realistic, that’s a political gimmick,” he said. “Catherine McKenney has said that they would stay within the envelope of three per cent tax increases. … “Many of the promises that Catherine is making right now are adding hundreds of millions of dollars in costs to the city, so it’s just not realistic that they’re going to come in at three per cent.

“We’re going to have a number, but it’s going to be based on reality, not a political promise.”

Sutcliffe says he’s not ‘Watson 2.0’

Sutcliffe has been characterized as an establishment candidate. His list of 24 honorary campaign co-chairs includes a host of current and former politicians.

Bob Chiarelli, among others, has referred to Sutcliffe as 'Watson 2.0,' saying he’s running as a status quo candidate who would follow in current mayor Jim Watson’s footsteps.

Sutcliffe said that doesn’t bother him, but it’s not true.

“If you look at who’s the most like Jim Watson in this race, it’s not me. It’s Bob Chiarelli,” he said, pointing out that both men have served as Ottawa mayor and provincial Liberal cabinet ministers representing Ottawa West—Nepean.

“I’m not a career politician like Jim Watson and Bob Chiarelli,” he said. “There’s nothing wrong with spending your career in politics, but I’ve served my community in other ways.”