Tonight, on Public Eye Radio, we'll be bringing in the New Year with Western Canada Wilderness Committee Victoria executive director Ken Wu. Federal Liberal British Columbia president Jamie Elmhirst will be on the blower talking about the Grit's wartorn campaign plans. And 24 hours columnist Braeden Caley and provincial Conservative president Ryan Warawa are phoning in to give us their take on the federal election. The Tyee's David Beers will also be taking some time away from the evening's festivities to talk about his magazine's election blog. And strategist Brad Zubyk is coming on the show to pontificate about the provincial political year that was and what we can expect in the coming months. You can listen to Public Eye Radio outside of Victoria by logging into CFAX 1070 between 6:00 and 9:00. If you have a question for one of our guests, you can email us, leave a comment below or phone (250) 386-1161 during the show.
Joyce Murray, the mother of infamous, establishment-side political rapper Baba Brinkman, might have a shot at winning New Westminster-Coquitlam for the federal Liberals. At least that's what an internal and unscientific poll is saying. According to an automated telephone survey conducted by EquiComs Management Corp. for the Murray campaign between December 18 and 19, when asked "Which party will you support?" 23.4 percent of riding residents responded that they would be casting their ballots for the Liberals. By comparison, the New Democrats had 21.9 percent support, with the Conservatives coming in at 20.1 percent. But, significantly, 34.6 percent were still undecided or would be voting for another party. A total of 3,077 residents responded to the question, which was obtained by Public Eye.
"The final three weeks of this campaign are going to be, to quote Thomas Hobbes, 'nasty, brutish, and short.'" - that's the view of federal Conservative national campaign co-chairs Michael Fortier and John Reynolds in an email sent to candidates earlier today. Messrs. Fortier and Reynolds also attribute the Tories' present success to party leader Stephen Harper, his advisors and "the discipline and professionalism of our local campaigns." Translation: there have been no foot-in-mouth incidents to-date. Absent from that list - but perhaps more relevant - is the Liberal's astounding talent for committing anatomically impossible acts. But we digress. The email concludes with a commitment to continue to "run a positive, ideas-based campaign" - which surely explains the menacing music accompanying the party's latest online commercial. The following is a complete copy of that message.
Memorandum to all candidates and campaign managers
December 30, 2005
John Reynolds and Michael Fortier, National Campaign Co-Chairs
Dear candidates,
We have had a great start to our election campaign. In our more than thirty-five years in politics, we have never seen a more ideas-filled campaign and such a focused and disciplined team. No matter where we go across the country we see driven candidates, volunteers full of hope, a party confident in itself, and a rock-solid platform filled with ideas that are clearly superior to those of our opponents.
The success of our campaign has been due in large part to three things: Stephen Harper's leadership, the team with which he has surrounded himself, and the discipline and professionalism of our local campaigns. There is near universal agreement that we are running a first-rate show. We must continue on this track right up to January 23rd.
The final three weeks of this campaign are going to be, to quote Thomas Hobbes, "nasty, brutish, and short." The Liberals will be stepping up their campaign of negative and personal attacks on our leader and our party. We'll see more ads like those we saw in the last campaign - guns pointed into people's faces and dishonest visual misrepresentations of our policies.
Paul Martin began this negative campaign by accusing Stephen Harper of being unfit for public life. His supporters have followed suit by attacking Conservative candidates in personal and unacceptable ways. And there will be more. In the last election, they got away with such unsubstantiated attacks. But it will not happen again. This time we will vigorously defend ourselves. We will hit back quickly - with facts. To quote Stephen Harper, "we'll be tough, and it won't all be pretty. But these people want to play a dirty game." In this vein, today we released a new television advertisement. It is called, They'll go neg. The advertisement forewarns Canadians of the negative Liberal campaign that is about to be unleashed in the new year. You can preview the advertisement at www.conservative.ca/ad.
Ladies and gentlemen, for three weeks Stephen Harper and the Conservative Party have run a positive, ideas-based campaign. We intend to continue doing so for as long as we can and in spite of the escalating negative and personal attacks on our leader and our party. We encourage all of you to ignore these attacks. Keep your eye focused clearly on the ultimate goal: defeating a corrupt Liberal government and restoring accountability in Ottawa.
Please accept our best wishes for the remainder of the holiday season, and to all of you a happy new year.
Sincerely,
John Reynolds and Michael Fortier
National Campaign Co-Chairs
Conservative Campaign 2006
Much ink has been spilled reporting on Michael Walker's decision to step down as the Fraser Institute's executive director. But what is Mr. Walker - who spent more than 30 years in that post - doing with his golden years, you may wonder? Well, in addition to serving as president of the Fraser Institute Foundation, our operatives report the former think tank swimmer has joined federal Conservative West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country candidate John Weston's communications and policy committee.
MARTIN'S BC PREZ JAMIE ELMHIRST PULLS A KLANDER: that was one of the headlines posted today on Bourque Newswatch. At issue: an entry in Mr. Elmhirst's blog noting Industry Minister David Emerson described federal New Democrat leader Jack Layton as having a "boiled dog's head smile." But, in an interview with Public Eye, the senior Liberal operative dismissed any comparison between that description and an earlier blog posting by the party's Ontario executive vice-president Mike Klander which included offensive comments about Mr. Layton's wife Olivia Chow. Explained Mr. Elmhirst, "Boiled dog's head smile is an old Cantonese saying that refers to someone who is forcing a smile or trying too hard to smile. So it's hardly a vicious comment as far as I'm concerned - well within the bounds of political taste."
He then went onto to add, "I think what (Mr. Klander) did was truly offensive. And I think that, regardless of whether he's a Liberal or not, I think it was something that people would find immediately find instantly distasteful - as did I. So I don't think this is anything that even begins to approximate that."
Three hundred and seven - that's how many candidates have been nominated to run for the federal Liberals in this election. An impressive number, to be sure. But, as astute Public Eye readers may know, that tally is one hopeful short of a full slate. The reason: it seems the Grits of Chilliwack-Fraser Canyon have had a spot of trouble finding someone to throw themselves against the sword that is incumbent Conservative candidate Chuck Strahl. But now we've learned a volunteer has stepped forward: everyone say hello to institutional parole officer Myra Sweeney. Ms. Sweeney, of course, is not exactly a name brand candidate (although she is a member of the Fraser Valley Institution for Women's emergency response team - which means she can and will kick your ass). But she brings with her a whiff of nostalgia, having been a card-carrying member of the University of Victoria's Young Liberal mafia - whose alumni includes your humble organ.
Under the cover of holiday cheer comes this announcement from our efficient friends at BC Health Inc.: according to an internal email sent on December 16, the Maximus Inc. subsidiary has hired a(nother) new chief executive officer. Astute Public Eye readers may remember the company's first head honcho Richard Mason resigned in August after BC Health was repeatedly fined by the government for failing to meet performance targets for handling phone calls and processing Medical Services Plan and PharmaCare applications. Mr. Mason, who was on the job for just four months, was replaced back on an acting basis by Maximus's managing director of Canadian operation Brian Pollick. And now Mr. Polick is stepping aside to make way for Duff Lang. The following is a complete copy of that email which was leaked to Public Eye.
From: Duff Lang
Sent: December 16, 2005 2:04 PM
Subject: Greetings
Hello everyone,
First I want to thank Brian for his warm welcome and also for the leadership he has provided since the inception of this program.
I have had the opportunity to meet only a handful of people so far but for all of you, please accept my congratulations on the exceptional service level results you have achieved. The progress made since my initial visit in early October is truly amazing and I know the success has come as a result of your hard work and dedication.
I am excited to join this team and dedicated to the success of this business in support of the Ministry and their service to the citizens of British Columbia.
Early in January I will have the opportunity to speak with all of you in group meetings and prior to that I will attempt to meet as many of you as possible for at least a brief hello.
Many of you are planning well deserved vacations at this time of year and I wish you and your families a very happy holiday season.
Regards,
Duff Lang
'Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring - except the clever elves at Community Living British Columbia. On December 19, the agency quietly announced it would be directly awarding $304,815 worth of contracts to eight separate firms. Ho! Ho! Ho! Of course, a number of those contracts are extensions to existing agency favourites. And some of the companies receiving awards went through earlier competitive bid processes. But, according to documents posted on BC Bid, three didn't - Gateway Consulting Services Ltd. ($35,000), L. Guest Management and Project Consulting Ltd. ($29,750) and TP Systems Ltd. ($30,000) - apparently because they are the only firms capable of meeting the agency's demanding information technology needs. And what do we know about these companies, you may ask? Quite a bit, it turns out.
Astute Public Eye readers will remember Lucy Guest, the sole director of L. Guest Management and Product Consulting, made headlines in February 2004 when the Times Colonist's Lindsay Kines discovered the ministry of children and family development had awarded her $146,700 in untendered contracts. At the time, then minister Christy Clark said she was "concerned about the appearance" of those contracts. And she announced that Ms. Guest's work was being converted into a regular unionized government position because the ministry found it could get the services cheaper that way.
TP Systems was also in the news back in 1997. At the time, The Vancouver Sun's Rick Ouston reported government auditors were complaining about the financial practices of British Columbia's photo radar program. Specifically, they were concern about the "modification of contract amounts to reduce value below $100,000" - ensuring they wouldn't be reviewing by the government Treasury Board - and the awarding of "multiple contracts to the same provider." And it turns out one of those providers was TP Systems - which was issued 14 contracts worth $909,806.
As for Gateway Consulting Services, their staff includes a number of former children and family development staffers including senior analyst and database specialist Dianne Grehan and information systems director Sandy Logan. Fred Milowsky, British Columbia's deputy child and youth officer, is also presently on leave from his post as a consultant with the company.
Garden City readers, astute and otherwise, will remember the bizarre spectacle that was "Canadian socialist politician" Ben "Che" Isitt's bid to unseat Alan Lowe. Nominated as the Victoria Civic Electors mayoral candidate over the objections of slate leaders, Mr. Isitt's campaign was completely independent from the one run by the party's council hopefuls - featuring its own platform and office space. And it looks like the post-election period has done little to bring these two solitudes together.
In an open letter published in the November/December edition of the The Lower Island News, Mr. Isitt gives his "thanks to all those New Democrats who supported my efforts as the NDP candidate for Mayor of Victoria...With enthusiastic support from the NDP grassroots and a dozen unions, we raised $31,000 and ran a strong campaign." Who knew the civic electors had changed their name to the New Democrats?
The former mayoral candidate then goes onto note Green candidate "Sonya Chandler's success winning a seat on city council shows that electoral victory can be achieved by running on principle, with a strong environmental platform and the backing of organized labour." One can only think Mr. Isitt simply forgot about the two civic electors hopefuls who also won council seats - Dean Fortin and Pam Madoff. The following is a complete copy of Mr. Isittt's letter.
***
Open letter from mayoralty candidate Ben Isitt
2005 campagin was important step on road to social justice, environmental stewardship
Thanks to all those New Democrats who supported my efforts as the NDP candidate for Mayor of Victoria. Your generosity and hours of hard work on the doorstep helped shift the agenda to the left - and nearly won the mayorlty.
On November 19, we received 7298 votes to 8690 votes for the Liberal-backed incumbent. With 44% of the vote across the city, we won 60% in Fernwood and 51% downtown. At the Fairfield New Horizons seniors' centre in Cook Street Village, we received 880 votes to 954 for the incumbent. With enthusiatic support from the NDP grassroots and a dozen unions, we raised $31,000 and a ran a strong campaign.
New Democrats are known for diversity and debate, and this campaign was no exception. The challenge now is to look ahead to the future, and work together to ensure a unified effort in 2008 that will secure a majority on city council, school board and at the CRD - and elect a progressive as mayor.
Victoria needs more cooperative and non-profit housing; our region needs sewage treatment and rapid transit; working people need good-paying unionized jobs and expanded social services; our community needs vibrant public spaces, support for festivals and the arts, and a strong local economy that leaves no one behind.
Sonya Chandler's success winning a seat on city council shows that electoral seat on city council shows that electoral victory can be achieved by running on principle, with a strong environmental platform and the backing of organized labour. We can learn something from Chandler's success. Victoria will benefit if we support her efforts as a newcomer on city council.
It has been an honour to serve as your NDP candidate for Mayor of Victoria. Those of us on the left are no strangers to defeat, and we understand the changes we desire are not achieved overnight. Nonetheless, this 2005 campaign was an important step on the road to social justice and environmental stewardship.
With your help, we will organize for victory in 2008.
"I can't believe this. I can perhaps see politicians going close to the wire from time to time. But they've stepped over it so far that it's unbelievable" - that's how former premier Bill Vander Zalm is reacting to the appointment of Liberal supporter Louise Burgart to the supposedly non-partisan electoral boundaries commission. Said Mr. Vander Zalm, in an interview to be published in tomorrow's edition of 24 hours, "This appears to me to be not only a conflict but rather dumb because it's so obvious. And it's rather dangerous because - even if this person does a perfect job - there's always the perception it might not have been."
Mr. Vander Zalm, whose administration was responsible for putting in place the legislation that established the electoral boundaries commission, told Public Eye the Speaker of the Legislative Bill Barisoff's partisan appointment sets "a very dangerous precedent. Because the next time it's done - it may not be the Liberals, it could be the NDP - but they could go back to this one and say, "It was okay then. See! Everyone agreed."
The former premier added, "If I was the speaker, I would probably rescind the appointment. But it would probably be prudent on the part of the appointee to say, "I'm stepping aside. I meant no wrong. I meant to do a good job. But I can see that this certainly doesn't look good."
Earlier this week, the executive director of the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association - Murray Mollard - also slammed Ms. Burgart's appointment.
Earlier, we quoted electoral boundary commissioner Louise Burgart as saying that Speaker of the Legislature Bill Barisoff appointed her to that position, in part, because she "could represent rural British Columbia." Malaspina University College political science professor Allan Warnke blasted that rationale on Public Eye Radio saying, "She has to have a perspective of the province as a whole - taking into account all population and regions. She is not to be an advocate." But the fact Mr. Barisoff wanted a rural representative on the commission shouldn't be a surprise to anyone who knows how to search Hansard.
Back when he was an Opposition member, Mr. Barisoff expressed dissatisfaction over the way rural constituencies were treated by the last boundaries commission which "chopped up" his riding - even going so far as to vote against its recommendations. Speaking in the legislature in June 1999, Mr. Barisoff grumbled, "We have to look at a different (electoral boundary) process that allows the rural people of British Columbia to be represented in a fair manner."
And, during the same speech, the then Okanagan-Boundary MLA also complained the borders of his riding were changed despite the fact 37 out of the 38 submissions to the commission from his constituency opposed any alteration. The only one in favour - according to Mr. Barisoff - was from Gary Gattrel "president of the Okanagan-Boundary NDP constituency (association) and the executive member of the NDP for the central interior of the Okanagan."
Your humble organ has spilled much ink reporting on the appointment of provincial Liberal supporter Louise Burgart to the electoral boundaries commission. After all, this is supposed to be a non-partisan body. But don't take our word for it. In his final report, Judge Thomas Fisher - who headed the 1988 Royal Commission on Electoral Boundaries for British Columbia - stressed that, in the future, "a successful boundary commission must be completely open and non-partisan. Only if those principles are followed will there be complete confidence in the fairness of the proposals for needed boundary changes." This statement coming from Premier Bill Vander Zalm's former personal lawyer.
That recommendation was made in the wake of the controversial 1977 electoral boundaries commission. At the time, it was alleged Vancouver-Little Mountain MLA Grace McCarthy influenced the boundaries commissioner to transfer a piece of Socred-friendly real estate (subsequently known as Gracie's Finger) from Vancouver-Point Grey to her riding. And who was that commissioner, you may wonder? Well, in addition to being a judge, Larry Eckardt unsuccessfully ran as a Socred candidate in the 1966 election.
Mr. Fisher's recommendation was acted on a year later with the introduction of the Electoral Boundaries Commission Act, which established an "independent, non-partisan Electoral Boundaries Commission to regularly review electoral boundaries so that they will continue to reflect the basic principles of fair and balanced representation for all British Columbians." By appointing Ms. Burgart to this commission, Speaker of the Legislature Bill Barisoff is corrupting the intent of that legislation. And New Democrat leader Carole James, who okayed that appointment, is fascilitating that corruption by not speaking out on this issue.
Has West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country federal Conservative candidate John Weston got a bit too much spit and polish on his campaign resume? You be the judge. According to the biography posted on his Website, "in the 1980's John served as a Canadian diplomat." But, speaking with Public Eye, Mr. Weston confirmed he hasn't been a member of the government's diplomatic corp. - although he did take the foreign service exam and pass. Instead, between 1986 and 1987, Mr. Weston was the assistant to Bob Kelly, the first director of the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei. That office was established by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce under an arrangement with the federal government.
In interviews with your humble organ, then senior chamber vice-president Lorne Seitz and external affairs assistant deputy minister Earl Drake said they would have identified themselves - as well, director-general Jean McCloskey - as being principally responsible for founding that office. But, according to a translation of the Chinese version of Mr. Weston's biography conducted by Ming Pao Daily News on December 8, the Website lists him as being "the person who established the Canada Taipei Trade Office."
In an email, Mr. Weston who speaks Mandarin and can read the language slightly, disputed that translation. According to Mr. Weston, a Chinese colleague says the biography identifies him "a member of those who established the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei." And, in a later interview, senior Tory campaigner Colin Metcalfe said, "John stands firmly behind his biography online and feels that it fully represents the time he spent in Taiwan and other aspects of his career." According to Statistics Canada, there are 4,595 Chinese voters in the riding. The following is a copy of Mr. Weston's email.
***
-----Original Message-----
From: John D. Weston
Sent: Tuesday, December 13, 2005 3:11 PM
To: Gilda Philps
Cc: Ann Gibbon
Subject: For Sean Holman
Dear Sean,
Thanks for your interest in the "Come Run With Me!" Campaign.
Concerning the Chinese bio, on my website, I read over the Chinese (I do read Chinese characters, but not well) with my Chinese colleague, who translates the entry as "A member of those who established the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei". There are no singulars or plurals or articles ("a", "the") in much of Chinese, which might explain the translation you were given.
John Weston
John D. Weston
Federal Conservative Party Candidate
West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country
P.O. Box 92076
West Vancouver Post Office
1427 Bellevue Avenue
West Vancouver, B.C.
V7V 4X4
Phone: 604 913 8828
Fax: 604 913 8807
Email: john@johnweston.ca
Website: www.johnweston.ca
"COME RUN WITH ME!"
Public affairs bureau media monitoring/media relations director Kelly Gleeson wasn't the only one getting a new job today. Also announced to bureau staffers was the appointment of Jim Stanton as the British Columbia Olympic and Paralympic Games secretariat's communications director. That appointment has raised some questioning eyebrows at the bureau. After all, Mr. Stanton is said to make a rather comfortable living as the president of Jim Stanton and Associates Inc. - a company providing crisis communications advice to numerous public sector agencies across the country. But some things are more important than money. And the opportunity to work on the Olympic Games was reportedly too good to pass up - as is this question: can you think of an appropriate caption for the photograph on the front page of Mr. Stanton's Website?
Last week, your humble organ reported children and family development communications director Theresa Lumsdon was shipping herself post-haste to the meat-eating ministry ruled by small business and revenue king Rick Thorpe. According to our operatives, an internal competition was undertaken to determine who would have the somewhat dubious honour of replacing her. And now we've learned the crown has been handed to Kelly Gleeson, director of media monitoring/media relations for the public affairs bureau. Mr. Gleeson, we salute (but do not envy) you.
You knew her as the provincial Liberal's caucus chair. But to federal Liberal Victoria candidate David Mulroney, Wendy McMahon was his campaign manager. That is, until this past Sunday, when the former Columbia River-Revelstoke MLA exited that job under mutually disagreeable circumstances. A replacement is expected to be appointed next month. In the meantime, party president Jamie Elmhirst is filling the position.
Christmas has come a couple days early for Public Eye readers. Thanks to the incredible efforts of Ian King, we are now pleased to pull the curtain back on our new look and feel - as created by Art Department Design's Victor Crapnell. Thanks to both of you for all the hard labour and sleepless nights that have been poured into this project. Some tweaking still remains (such as centering the pages and making sure our archives display properly). But everything should be working. Meanwhile, the comments feature has been reactivated. So feel free to post away. And, for those who are interested, you can now syndicate Public Eye's content.
Richmond federal Conservative candidate Darrel Reid hasn't yet been elected to Parliament. But it looks like he's already got an office on the Hill. His campaign Website lists a single contact point for all inquiries: "Room 551 Confederation Bldg. House of Commons Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6 tel: 613-992-1157 fax: 613-943-1823." Interestingly, that space space is presently occupied by Langley MP Mark Warawa. Mr. Reid's campaign manager Robbie Robertson hasn't responded to a query - sent earlier this afternoon - as to why Mr. Reid might be using Mr. Warawa's office as a contact point.
The executive director of the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association is calling for a review of the process by which a Liberal supporter was appointed to the electoral boundaries commission. "The designing of electoral boundaries requires absolute public confidence in the fairness of the distribution of those boundaries. And, consequently, you want the people that are involved in making recommendations and designing boundaries to be above and beyond reproach in their independence in avoiding any conflict or even any perception of having political partisan connections," said Murray Mollard in an interview with your humble organ.
Louise Burgart was appointed by the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Bill Barisoff to the supposedly non-partisan commission last week, following consultation with the premier and the Opposition leader. The news release announcing that appointment described her as a former school principal, superintendant and the owner of Apex Mountain Resort - which is in Mr. Barisoff's riding.
But subsequent research by Public Eye has revealed Ms. Burgart campaigned on behalf of Liberal MLA John Rustad and her company donated $2,900 to the party (apparently, without her knowledge). Apex Mountain Resort (1997) Ltd. also contributed $1,000 to Mr. Barisoff's 2001 election campaign. And Ms. Burgart penned a fawning letter praising the Campbell administration which was published in the Prince George Citizen on the eve of the last election.
Mr. Mollard, who was reacting to that research, also said Ms. Burgart might want to reconsider accepting her appointment to the commission "in the interest of maintaining the highest level of public confidence in the process for creating electoral boundaries." A version of this article will be published in today's edition of 24 hours.
Earlier, your humble organ reported one of the provincial government's most powerful and controversial deputy ministers - Andrew Wilkinson - was leaving the bureaucracy to work with a major Vancouver law firm. And what firm might that be, you may wonder? Well, according to our operatives, Mr. Wilkinson's patron is none other than McCarthy Tetrault LLP. The firm is also presently hosting former (and future) federal Liberal leadership contender John Manley and once upon a time Alberta energy minister John Zaozirny. It was also previously the home of Prime Minister Paul Martin's chief of staff Tim Murphy, paying him a $19,616.68 salary during his boss's leadership campaign. Mr. Wilkinson is expected to depart no later than mid-January.
Last night, on Public Eye Radio, Malaspina University College political science professor Allan Warnke declared that recently appointed electoral boundary commissioner Louise Burgart's partisan background (specifically the letter she wrote to the Prince George Citizen praising the Campbell administration) "really should eliminate her as a prospect for serving on the commission. Because the commission has to be perceived as being non-partisan. And, if anyone wants to say we've had commissioners before who've had their connections to the government...I'd say, 'Yeah, but we're trying to get away from that" and have been since 1999.
Prof. Warnke also warned Ms. Burgart wouldn't just be responsible for recommending changes to British Columbia's constituencies. She wouild also be immediately involved in the hiring of those staffing (and, therefore, advising) the commission. And the former legislator is also worried Ms. Burgart's presence could make it easier for party loyalists to be appointed to the commission in the future. For example, if former cabinet minister Christy Clark got the nod next time, "people may raise a stink about it. But it could be said, 'Well, no. Actually a partisan was selected in the last commission. Therefore, what's wrong with selecting a partisan in this particular commission.' That's the problem," said Prof. Warnke.
But it's not the only one. In an interview with your humble organ, Ms. Burgart said one of the reasons Speaker of the Legislature Bill Barisoff appointed her was because she could "represent rural British Columbia." And that statement concerns Prof. Warnke. "She has to have a perspective of the province as a whole - taking into account all population and regions. She is not to be an advocate. Her role is not to be an advocate. So when she makes a statement like that, that bothers me a little bit too because it tells me she does not understand specifically her role."
One of the Campbell administration's most controversial and powerful deputy ministers is leaving government, Public Eye has learned. Andrew Wilkinson, a former provincial Liberal president and Rhodes scholar, was one of the administration's first hires - this, despite an earlier promise from the premier to appointed civil servants on the "basis of their expertise, not their political stripe." Mr. Wilkinson was also touched by scandal during the recent election campaign when your humble organ, reporting in The Vancouver Sun, discovered he attended a party event in Terrace on the taxpayer's dime. At the time, Mr. Wilkinson said he went to the northern economic diversification conference without knowing it had been organized by the Liberal constituency association in Skeena. Mr. Wilkinson, who most recently headed up the ministry of economic development, is said to be departing to join a major law firm. Before he became a civil servant, he worked for Harper Grey Easton LLP - specializing in health law.
A scant ten months after being hired, Kelly MacDonald - British Columbia's deputy child and youth officer-aboriginal services - has departed Jane Morley's office. The announcement was made in a curiously worded email sent to bureaucrats on Friday at 4:10 - a time customarily reserved for dumping out bad news. According to the somewhat brief email, authored by Ms. Morley, her high-profile deputy is "moving on to other alternatives that are available to her" - suggesting a rather sudden departure. Ms. MacDonald, a lawyer and single mother, was hired in partnership with the province's principle aboriginal political organizations: the First Nations Summit, the Metis Provincial Council of British Columbia, the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs and the United Native Nations. According to the Times Colonist's Judith Lavoie, she was chosen for the position from a list of 48 applicants following a gruelling interview process. The following is a complete copy of Ms. Morley's email.
-----Original Message-----
From: CYO CYO:EX
Sent: Friday, December 16, 2005 4:10 PM
Subject: Kelly MacDonald
Kelly MacDonald has left the organization of the Child and Youth Officer for British Columbia and is moving on to other alternatives that are available to her.
Kelly was the first person to hold the position of Deputy Child and Youth Officer -- Aboriginal Services that was set up in partnership between the Child and Youth Officer and the Union of BC Indian Chiefs, the First Nations Summit, the Métis Provincial Council of British Columbia and the United Native Nations.
Kelly has a strong passion for furthering the interests of Aboriginal children and youth, which she brought to the job of Deputy and which I am sure she will bring to her future endeavours. I wish her well in her new pursuits.
Jane Morley, QC
Child and Youth Officer
Province of British Columbia
Tomorrow night, on Public Eye Radio, we'll be joined by the usual suspects from our rabble-rousing political panel: former provincial New Democrat deputy minister John Heaney, political consultant Mike Geoghegan and once-upon-a-time federal Liberal operative Bob Russell. Saancih-Gulf Island Green hopeful Andrew Lewis will also be chatting with us about his chances in the riding. And we'll be discussing the recent electoral boundaries commission controversy with former provincial Liberal MLA and Malaspina University College political science professor Allan Warnke. Also on the show: Port Moody-Coquitlam-Port Coquitlam incumbent Conservative candidate James Moore, who will be promoting his party's recently released made-in-British Columbia platform. You can listen to Public Eye Radio outside of Victoria by logging into CFAX 1070 between 6:00 and 9:00. If you have a question for one of our guests, you can email us, leave a comment below or phone (250) 386-1161 during the show.
Earlier, we reported on the not-so non-partisan background of electoral boundary commissioner Louise Burgart, who was appointed this week by Speaker of Legislative Assembly Bill Barisoff. As one of three such commissioners, Ms. Burgart - a Liberal campaigner whose company (Apex Mountain Resort (1997) Ltd.) contributed $2,900 to the party and $1,000 to Mr. Barisoff's 2001 election run - will be responsible for making recommendations for the redrawing of British Columbia's constituencies. And how much will she get paid for this sensitive task, you may wonder?
According to attorney general communications manager Maria Wilkie, the speaker's commission appointee receives $430 per diem - the same as a member of an administrative tribunal. In fairness, that's hardly a king's randsom. But here's a fun fact: according to our calculations, Ms. Burgart will have to work just nine days to earn back the money her company contributed to the Liberals and Mr. Barisoff. Ms. Wilkie wasn't able to say how many days the commission would be working, nor how many days the last commission worked. But Ms. Burgart and her colleagues are expected to have their first meeting before the New Year.
This just in from the public affairs bureau: a rumoured communications director shuffle has happened sooner rather than later. Children and family development's Theresa Lumsdon will be moving to revenue, where she'll report to Minister Rick Thorpe (we'll let you figure out which posting is the fire and which is the frying pan). Meanwhile, Ms. Lumsdon's predecessor at revenue, Kirk Smith, has been handed responsibility for special projects at the bureau. And executive directors Marisa Adair (attorney general) and Carol Carman (health) switch jobs. No word yet on who will be replacing Ms. Lumsdon at children and family development.
It looks like there's some trading action going down at the Rockpile: according to our operatives, Community Services Minister Ida Chong's senior aide Steven Puhallo is switching seats with Ian Maclean, who is presently labouring for Tourism, Sports and the Arts Minister Olga Ilich. No word on the reason for the trade. But earlier, your humble organ reported locker room talk that Minister Ilich was experiencing some growing pains as one of the Campbell administration's top rookie recruits.
Following much technological pain and agony, Public Eye is back online. Our appreciation goes out to Ian King, who did yeoman work piloting us to the safe digital harbour provided by TransitionalMedia Inc.'s Paul Holmes. The comments function is disabled to block the massive spam attacks that shutdown the site yesterday. But it should be back up and running shortly. In the meantime, please enjoying reading our lastest expose about the not-so non-partisan electoral boundary commissioner Louise Burgart.
Earlier this week, we broke the news that one of the provincial government's supposedly non-partisan electoral boundary commissioners appeared to have some partisan connections. Specifically, Louise Burgart's company Apex Mountain Resort (1997) Ltd. donated $2,900 to the Liberals (apparently, without her knowledge). And, just before British Columbians went to the polls, she had a fawning letter praising the Campbell administration published in the Prince George Citizen. But now, your humble organ has exclusively learned Ms. Burgart did a lot more than just write cheques for the Liberals and say good things about them. During the last election, Ms. Burgart was an organizer for now government backbencher John Rustad, focusing on getting the party's vote out in Fort St. James. And she worked unsuccessfully to secure a Liberal nomination in Prince George-Omineca for Fort St. James mayor Jim Togyi prior to the 1996 election.
Moreover, her company didn't just give cash to the Liberals. In 2001, Apex also directly contributed $1,000 to Liberal MLA Bill Barisoff's election campaign. As Speaker of the Legislature, Mr. Barisoff - whose riding includes the resort - was responsible for Ms. Burgart's appointment to the commission. And it turns out Larry Halbauer, who represented Mr. Barisoff's brother during a case back in 1999, just so happens to sit on Apex's board of directors. But, when asked whether he was consulted about Ms. Burgart becoming a commissioner, Mr. Halbauer said "I have no comment. To the best of my knowledge, never with anyone that I'm aware of."
The electoral boundaries commission is responsible for making recommendations for the redrawing of British Columbia's constituencies. Appointees, who also include a judge and the chief electoral officer, are supposed to be non-partisan to avoid any possibility of gerrymandering (laying down boundaries that would favour one party over another). In a column yesterday, The Vancouver Sun's Vaughn Palmer reported New Democrat leader Carole James "knew (Ms. Burgart) by reputation as a former superintendent, and okayed the choice. She also thought it was a good idea to have a woman on the panel as well." It appears the Opposition leader's office didn't do a background check on Ms. Burgart prior to Ms. James giving that okay. A version of this article will be published in tomorrow's edition of 24 hours.
Earlier this month, agent provocateur Jamie Lee Hamilton reported rumours former Industrial, Wood and Allied Workers of Canada president Dave Haggard would be seeking the federal Liberal nod in Vancouver East. And now, your humble organ has learned Mr. Haggard has submitted his nomination papers - although they have yet to be approved by the party's provincial green light committee. Already approved by that committee is Bill Yuen - a candidate whom the party hopes will assist them in winning Chinese votes in the riding. Mr. Yuen was a two-term Non-Partisan Association school trustee but dropped out of politics after failing to win a slot on the party's city council slate in 2002. A nomination meeting for the constituency is scheduled for tonight - as is a possible bout of rabble-rousing by the aforementioned Ms. Hamilton.
Conservative candidate Derek Zeisman is a long way from becoming prime minister. But he's already figured out what he's going to do if he gets there. As has already been reported on Babble, Mr. Zeisman's essay "We Stand on Guard for Thee: A Canadian Blueprint for the Twenty-first Century" was published in the 1998 edition of As Prime Minister I Would... Among the plans in that blueprint: abolishing the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which "has fractured our once unified nation into warring groups of special-interest advocates with narrow-minded goals and no sense of individual responsibility or accountability," and examining "the possibility of a North American monetary union." Other delights include ensuring all new infrastructure will be "based on the 'user pay' concept of revenue generation. Examples of this include road tolls, water and utility development fees, and user access charges for new communication services."
Of course, Mr. Zeisman's future prime ministerial hopes might be dashed by the country's immigrant community when they find out he thinks they should "speak one of two official languages" before coming to Canada "because we're spening huge amounts of money on education (for them)." This, according to a September report from the Trail Daily Times's Kate Sky covering the Conservative nomination battle in British Columbia Southern Interior. Mr. Zeisman later clarified in a letter to the editor that he only "raised the concept" during that battle. A version of this article was originally published in today's edition of 24 hours.
British Columbia Southern Interior Conservative candidate Derek Zeisman wants Paul Martin to be his leader. At least that's what he wrote back in March 2000, in a column published in the Nelson Daily News and dusted off by your humble organ. The former opinion journalist commented "it seems to me that Paul Martin," who is now leading the Liberals but was then finance minister “would make a fabulous (Canadian) Alliance leader. He has impeccable credentials as a fiscal conservative, having almost single-handedly slain the evil Deficit Dragon, while offering up a few moderate tax cuts along the way - which I suspect would have been a lot deeper, if Martin hadn't been held back by the prevailing left tilt in the Chretien cabinet." Mr. Zeisman then went onto praise Mr. Martin as being "charismatic and a superb public speaker" with "strong credibility not just in Ontario and the Maritimes, but even in the Western Reform Heartland."
But Mr. Zeisman wasn't so charitable when assessing Stockwell Day. In columns published in June of the same year, the future Conservative candidate slammed the then Alliance leadership candidate for "his obsession with social issues that most people have either put behind them, or don't want to broach" - specifically "abortion, capital punishment, homosexuality, and a host of other political taboos" including "same sex rights and benefits." According to Mr. Zeisman, the discussion of that obsession "won't get the Alliance elected to office. Ever. Not with a minority government, and certainly not with a majority."
Our readers, astute and otherwise, will remember Conservative leader Stephen Harper told reporters last month a Tory government would propose legislation repealing the Martin administration's same-sex marriage laws. That announcement was made, according to the National Post's Allan Woods, "moments after (Prime Minister) Paul Martin announced the Jan. 23 election date." Mr. Ziesman has yet to return a call seeking comment. A version of this article was originally published in today's edition of 24 hours.
Earlier, your humble organ reported one of the provincial government's supposedly non-partisan electoral boundary commissioners (Louise Burgart) appears to have some partisan connections. Moreover, in a stunning display of due diligence, government didn't even fly her down to Victoria for an interview before Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Bill Barisoff appointed her. All this, of course, is deserving of further investigation. But here's one question that should also be answered: why did New Democrat leader Carole James go along with Ms. Burgart's appointment? Because, according to our operatives, we're assured she did.
This, despite the fact a simple search of the government's Opposition caucus-accessible online media clipping service would have likely revealed Ms. Burgart's fawning pre-election day ode to the Campbell administration. And consider this: under provincial law, Speaker of Legislative Assembly Bill Barisoff would have been required to consult with both Ms. James and Premier Gordon Campbell before naming this former school principal to the commission - giving the vigilant staffers in the New Democrat leader's office more than enough time to do a background check on Ms. Burgart (whose company contributed, apparently without her knowledge, $2,900 to the Liberals). Surely, such matters will be a point of interest for New Democrat MLAs when they gather in Victoria tomorrow for their final caucus meeting before the Christmas holidays.
Earlier, your humble organ reported one of the supposedly non-partian electoral boundary commissioners announced today by the provincial government appears to have some partisan connections. But how did Louise Burgart get that posting? In an interview with Public Eye, Ms. Burgart explained, "Well, I don't really know other than I know they were looking for someone. The speaker (Bill Barisoff) was speaking to a couple people he knew. I guess he must have mentioned to them they were looking for someone. And did they know of somebody in the province who number one: already didn't already have a full time job and number two: might have some of the skills that it would take to do it. And I was quite surprised when I had the phone call to ask if I would consider it. It's not something I would have even considered until it was put to me. And then I definitely had to think it over."
Mr. Burgart then explained Mr. Barisoff initially phoned her about the appointment on Monday morning. And did she fly down to Victoria then for an interview? No, said Ms. Burgart. "He asked for my resume. I have met Mr. Barisoff in the past. And I sent him my resume. He did some further checking on references. And then I gather the name was put forward. It has to go through some process - whatever processes they use to do their screening in terms of making sure the people whose names are put forward are acceptable. And then he phoned me back and said are you sure you're still interested? And I had to speak it over with my family" before saying yes.
And what are her qualifications for the position, we asked? Said Ms. Burgart: "Number one: I think I work well with people. And I've lived in rural British Columbia. And I've worked as a superintendent of schools across a very large district in northern British Columbia. And I think I certainly have skills. Number one: I think listening. And number two: problem-solving, in terms of hearing many different points of view - many different sides - of an issue. And being able, at the end of it, to come up with some kind of a solution that would reflect what I would hear from the many different points of view that I would hear. Because I'm sure it's more than two different points of view - in terms of how things should proceed. And certainly, when I spoke to the Speaker of the House, that was what he was looking for - in terms of somebody who could represent rural British Columbia, somebody who has some skills in terms of working with people. And, number two, understood the importance of the issue in terms of listening to the people of British Columbia - knowing that (the recommendations of the electoral boundaries commission) would have to be accepted by all members of the house - in terms of going forward."
Today, the provincial attorney general's ministry announced the three members of the electoral boundaries commission - whose recommendations will guide government in redrawing British Columbia's constituencies. Among those appointments was one from Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Bill Barisoff: Apex Mountain Resort owner/director Louise Burgart. In an interview with your humble organ, University of Victoria political science professor Norman Ruff said the speaker's appointment is supposed to be someone who "represents ordinary British Columbians without any partisan connections." But it appears Ms. Burgart, whose resort is located in Mr. Barisoff's riding, does have such connections.
A little digging has revealed that, the day before British Columbians went to the polls, she had a fawning letter published in the Prince George Citizen praising the work of the Campbell administration. And a search of Elections British Columbia records reveals Apex Mountain Resort (1997) Ltd. donated $1,400 to the Liberals in 1998 and $1,500 in 2004. In an interview, Ms. Burgart said she wasn't aware of those donations. And, when asked how she could re-assure British Columbians she would remain non-partisan, the former school principal said "I believe that is my job to do that. And certainly my work record is one of listening. I do know (New Democrat leader) Carole James personally. I knew her well when she was the chair of the B.C. School Trustees Association at the time I was president of the superintendents association. And I would say we share many of the same concerns."
Ms. Burgart, who has known Mr. Barisoff since last year, also added, "I think that, given whatever happens in British Columbia, I would support whatever party was in power that is doing the best for British Columbia - and certainly rural British Columbia. And, at this time in British Columbia...we have moved forward" since the 2001 election. Under legislation, Ms. Burgart's appointment would have been "after consultation with the Premier and the Leader of the Official Opposition."
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Liberals on right track
I am happy to live in the best country on earth, to live in a province that has finally gotten its credit rating back, to live in a province that can now afford to put money back into social programs, health and education because it has the money to do so. I'm happy to live in a province that can pay for what it spends.
When I was student at university, I worked two and sometimes three jobs. I had student loans at a much-reduced borrowing rate and I dreamed about the day when I would be debt free. Oh, how I worried and hated that feeling.
I got a job, got married, bought a car, had kids, bought a house, raised kids, had a few holidays over the years, went back to university, supported kids as they went off to university and again I dreamed of being debt-free. It is a great feeling to be debt-free and to be able to dream.
In very simple terms, it really is not so different from the situation the province is in today.
The Gordon Campbell government has learned a lot in its few, short years. It has made some policy changes that have positively affected the economy of B.C.
In order to get there, decisions were not always easy; there has been some short-term pain. The people of B.C. can be optimistic and their dreams of a better life can be realized, because this government is working toward a debt-free province. It is then we will really be able to reap the gains.
Louise Burgart
Fort St. James
From the radioactive no-man's land of children and family development comes this report from the frontlines: according to our operatives, ministry communications director Theresa Lumsdon has completed her tour of duty and will be transferring to another theatre of war. No intelligence yet on who's going to replace her or where Ms. Lumsdon is headed in the bureau. But we're told she's not the only spin doctor who will be patching up media relations wounds in a different ministry. And the bureau must still find a replacement for health communications director Michelle Stewart, who departed for the Vancouver Island Health Authority in October. All of which means we could be in for a spot of public affairs staff churn over the coming months.
Next month, the federal Conservatives will release their version of the Liberal's made-in-B.C. policy document, spelling out exactly what a Tory government would do for the good people of Lotusland. Astute readers will, of course, remember the Martin campaign did the same thing with some success during the last campaign - the source of much puff-chestedness on the part of Grit bigwig Mark Marissen. But backroomers are whispering that the Tory document was actually penned in Ottawa. And those whispers, it turns out, are true. But, according to our operatives, it would be a stretch to say British Columbians have been shut-out of the drafting process for those policies.
The reason: prior to the election, the party's British Columbia caucus members sent Conservative campaign headquarters their suggestions on what should be in the document. And so did senior in this province, such as regional organizer John Buckham, national council member Byng Giraud, provincial campaign co-chair Bruce Hallsor and the leader's media liason Colin Metcalfe. Those suggestions were then compiled Conservatives in Ottawa, including a number of prominent British Columbia Tories. They include: national campaign co-chair John Reynolds, party executive director and former Vancouver Island lawyer Mike Donison, as well as volunteer campaign advisor Owen Lippert, who was a senior provincial government staffer with the Vander Zalm administration - among other hats. A version of this article will be published in today's edition of 24 hours.
Earlier today, Public Eye regular Budd Campbell noted federal Conservative candidate Phil Eidsvik was among those who attend the British Columbia New Democrat's $100 per plate Celeberation 2005 fundraising dinner. Which begs this question, why was Mr. Eidsvik - who was most recently executive director of the British Columbia Fisheries Survival Coalition and is now running in Newton-North Delta - at the event? In an interview with your humble organ, the candidate explained, "I don't think that everything the New Democrats do is wrong. And I'm probably closer to the New Democrats then I am to the Liberals. And I have some friends in the New Democrat party who asked me to come. And I said, of course I'd go. If you look around the fishing fleet, you'll see fishermen in every party." He later elaborated on that answer in an email which we have, in part, posted below.
From: Phil Eidsvik
Sent: 12 December 2005 15:50
To: 'Sean Holman'
Sean:
With respect to lobbying NDP members, I think the fund-raiser was my first NDP fundraiser. The event was billed as a time for the NDP to meet people in business. Though I was a Reform/Canadian Alliance/Conservative since 1993 and I disagree on many policy matters and general philosophy of the NDP, I also agree with certain NDP policies or certain aspects of a particular policy. For example, though I share NDP concerns about open-pen fish farms, I have yet to review their solution to the problem. I am also pleased that the NDP caucus on the federal Parliamentary Fish Committee supported an all-party recommendation to cancel the separate commercial fishery for the Musqueam/Tsawwassen on the Fraser River. I also like certain of the NDP candidates on a personal basis and have many fishing friends from all parties including the NDP. Does this mean I think the NDP should be the federal government? Of course not.
Regards
Phil
If toeing the party line was a competitive sport, South Surrey-White Rock-Cloverdale federal Liberal hopeful Jim McMurtry appears to be in training to become an Olympic champion. In a telephone interview, the former New Democrat candidate revealed when he's "out on the hustings, I'm not representing Jim McMurtry. I'm representing my riding association." An example: during his pre-acclamation interview with association executives, the candidate told us he was asked how he felt about the Gomery Commission. "And I said, 'Well, I'd like to sit down and hear what you people think about Gomery. But I can tell you right now how I feel. I think it was wrong." But, while campaigning, he said "my view on Gomery would be - and I'm just going to page 26 (of the campaign briefing book) - based on what is said there, that the party has accepted responsibility all the way."
And what's your opinion on campaign finance reform, we inquired? After all, as a New Democrat, Mr. McMurtry slammed the law limiting union donations to $1,000 - saying it was leaving party hopefuls on the hook for campaign expenses. In fact, that's the reason he gave for dropping out of the election in 2004 - about a week after being acclaimed as the left-wing party's candidate in Surrey North.
"I don't know what I would say. If you gave me another week on this. Right now I'm just running around. This afternoon I have to get photos in and we're doing a doorknocker and all that kind of stuff. But I don't believe I'm going into this election representing Jim McMurtry," responded the candidate.
Personally, he said there should be limits on donations: "I don't think your average Canadian likes the idea that certain people can buy inordinate influence in the political process. But where does one draw the line? Well, these are complicated questions. And I don't know if I have ever really thought about it. Having not read Bill C-24, I just knew how people were telling me it was affecting me" - specifically, the local New Democrats who asked him to open a $5,000 personal line of credit because they couldn't get enough campaign financing from the labour movement.
Then, turning his attention back to his briefing book, Mr. McMurtry added "I don't know the index here. I can't find (the Liberal policy) very quickly. It doesn't seem to be a talking point."
During the almost hour-long interview, the candidate also explained why he switched parties. When the New Democrats asked him to open a line of credit, the 46-year-old Mr. McMurtry said he gave his father, former Ontario Tory attorney general Roy McMurtry, a phone call. "And I was saying, 'Dad, you know, this is really very unattractive to me.' And he was very forthright in saying, 'You should have nothing to do with them whatsoever.' And I said, 'Dad, I don't want to let people down.' And he said, 'They've let you down. And it's not in your interest.' And ever since he's said to me...I really have to end up finding a way of getting with a more established party."
So it was a practical consideration, joining the Liberals? "It began that way. But the more I think about it - if you knew how I ran my own household, you know, I'm very responsible I think. I have almost no debt and no mortgage. So I'm kind of an odd bird. My wife and I - for the first six years of three children - we didn't have a car."
Mr. McMurtry then said he thinks that kind of fiscal restraint - which he says is shared by the Martin administration - is important for the country. "And I know that there's people in the Liberal party who see the world in the same way. So I think I have found a home." A version of this article will be published in tomorrow's edition of 24 hours.
Last Sunday, The Province's Ian Bailey reported the federal Conservatives had two prospective nomination candidates in Newton-North Delta "one of whom stepped aside to clear the way for the acclaimed candidate - Phil Eidsvik" - this, according to national campaign co-chair John Reynolds. And who was this mystery candidate, you may wonder? We can't say for sure. But, in an interview last week, Jesse Johl told your humble organ, "It is true I handed in my (nomination) papers. And it is true I was the first person to hand them in well before the deadline." The former Vancouver-Kingsway candidate declined to comment on whether he stepped aside for Mr. Eidsvik. And now one of our readers is reporting Mr. Johl "has filed a complaint with the party." And our operatives confirm party headquarters shipped Mr. Johl an appeal package on Thursday. For that appeal to go forward for review by the party secretariat, those papers must be signed by at least 10 Conservative members.