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Lower Mainland Conservative candidates are starring in the Liberal B.C. Team’s “Harpocracy” attack on Stephen Harper. The Muzzle Watch Website lists all candidates who have been “muzzled”, either by refusing to call reporters back, or being no-shows at all-candidates’ meetings.

Several instances of “muzzlings” were taken from Georgia Straight stories, including this one on federal arts funding, when Vancouver Centre candidate Lorne Mayencourt didn't return Jessica Werb's calls to discuss the Conservative government's $45 million in cultural cuts.

So far, the site claims that there have been 44 reported cases of Conservative muzzling in BC. Of those, four involve Vancouver Centre candidate Lorne Mayencourt, and four with Vancouver Kingsway candidate Salomon Rayek. Surrey North candidate Dona Cadman also racked up four.

The Muzzle Watch site opens with this pithy quote:

“Democracy cannot be maintained without its foundation: free public opinion and free discussion throughout the nation of all matters affecting the state within the limits set by the criminal code and common law.”

- Supreme Court of Canada