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Candidate wonders why office trashed

Jason Emiry
Northern News Services
Published Wednesday, October 1, 2008

SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Liberal candidate Gabrielle Mackenzie-Scott said she has no idea why her campaign office was vandalized last weekend.

"I can't say," said Mackenzie-Scott, when asked Monday whether she thought the break-in was a random occurrence or politically motivated.

NNSL Photo/Graphic

Dave Munroe, campaign manager for Gabrielle Mackenzie-Scott, sits on the floor of the Liberal main office picking up files and other office materials following a break-in at their campaign headquarters on Sunday morning. - Ben Morgan/NNSL photo

On Monday, her campaign office issued a press release headlined: "Liberal campaign office trashed."

The break-in was discovered when her campaign team entered their Franklin Ave. office Sunday morning.

Thieves stole two laptop computers, broke into a document security systems box and made a mess in the back of the office. Files and campaign brochures were thrown all over the floor. Forty dollars in petty cash were stolen but a large-screen television was left behind.

Patrick Scott, her husband and assistant campaign manager, said the destruction put a damper on Sunday's campaign activities.

"We planned to deliver brochures and letters today but now we can't access our office," said Scott.

The team had prepared letters to be mailed to the communities and brochures to deliver to homes in Yellowknife.

Mackenzie-Scott said that the break-in didn't really slow down her team, however. Campaign volunteers waited until late in the afternoon when the RCMP had finished their work and cleaned up the office.

"That didn't stop us," said Mackenzie-Scott.

"My volunteers still went out anyways. The volunteers were great. They got all the letters ready by late in the day on Sunday. The ones that were trashed we were able to retrieve and get back on track."

She was curious why someone would try to break the office recycling bin.

"I don't know why anyone would try to break that," said Mackenzie-Scott. "It's pretty obvious it is a recycling paper bin."

The RCMP responded to the complaint at approximately 12:15 p.m. on Sunday. The forensic identification unit was called to assist the investigator.

Police reported the culprit or culprits gained entry to the office through a small window in the front of the building and climbed in.

RCMP Const. Kathy Law said on Monday that police did not have any leads in the case.

She said it didn't appear that the office was specifically targeted.

"It appears to be random," said Law. " There is nothing to say otherwise."