RICHMOND HILL VOTES: ‘Not endorsing anyone’: Castro Liu speaks to photo used by mayoral candidate Carmine Perrelli

'I was neither consulted nor approved of the photo's use': Liu

Yorkregion.com
Oct. 24, 2022
Sheila Wang

Standing side by side and all smiles, Richmond Hill Coun. Castro Liu was seen posing with mayoral candidate Carmine Perrelli in a photo featured in a flyer for Perrelli's mayoral campaign.

The flyer, expressing appreciation in Chinese for “Councillor Liu’s unwavering support over the years,” started circulating around the city just a couple weeks before the Oct. 24 municipal election in Richmond Hill.

This, however, is not an endorsement for Perrelli by the Ward 3 councillor despite what residents may have been led to believe.

“I was neither consulted nor approved of the photo's use,” said Liu, who is seeking re-election in Ward 3. “I am not endorsing anyone for any position in this election.”

A political endorsement is a public declaration of one's personal or a group's support of a candidate for elected office.
Liu said he became aware of this flyer using his photo with Perrelli -- from more than eight years ago -- on Oct. 11.

In 2014, Perrelli was defeated in the race for Richmond Hill mayor by the late Dave Barrow. In 2018, he was elected regional councillor.

“Everything I distribute is factual and vetted for accuracy by legal experts,” Perrelli said in an emailed response to questions. “Any inferences, conjectures, omissions, speculations, half-truths or twisting of the facts by The Liberal newspaper to mislead residents and affect the outcome of the election will be dealt with appropriately.”

A four-way mayoral race is underway in Richmond Hill between Perrelli, incumbent Mayor David West, the city’s deputy registrar general Domenic Bardari and IT professional Holo Devnani.

In his email, Perrelli expressed his support for Liu’s campaign, telling The Liberal that “your attempt to distort the truth will not change that.”
Liu is currently seeking a fourth term on Richmond Hill council, running against community artist and activist Juni Yeung in the upcoming election.

“I am and have only been focused on my own election campaign. Unfortunately, I have no control what others have decided to do to promote their campaign,” Liu said.

The flyer in question also featured a photo of Perrelli and Premier Doug Ford, also thanking Ford for his friendship and support over the years.

The Liberal reached out to the premier’s office about his endorsement, but did not receive an immediate response.
Perrelli's flyers are among a great number of mail-outs that have been going around Richmond Hill around this election season, some with their own controversies.

Even before the campaign season started, some residents in Ward 5 said they received an anonymous mail-out seeking to unseat Coun. Karen Cilevitz.

In early October, another unsourced flyer arrived in some residents’ mailboxes targeting Mayor West and bearing the city’s official logo without authorization.

Residents in Richmond Hill are no strangers to mysterious flyers. From the "Richmond Hill Taxpayers Coalition" to "Richmond Hill Watchdog," copious flyers made their ways to residents' homes during the 2014 municipal election.