Friday, April 04, 2014

This Week In Snookland...When Is Someone Who Works For A Lobby Shoppe Not A Lobbyist?

AndJustWhoIsThisThirdMan
AnywayVille


David Ball, in the Lotuslandian version of 24Hrs, has the story. Here is his lede:

B.C. Premier Christy Clark's transit policies and push for a referendum are being questioned after revelations she worked directly on a contract for TransLink when she was briefly partnered in her ex-husband's lobby firm before returning to politics....

So.

How do we know Ms. Clark was not lobbying?

I mean, did she speak up and tell us so?

Of course not.

Why?

Because, as we noted previously on another related story, that, apparently, is Mr. Mark Marissen's self-declared job:

...Marissen confirmed Clark was “listed as a partner in Burrard” during a brief 2006 contract with TransLink, but said her role was unpaid.

“It was community engagement,” he told 24 hours. “It was a very small project, maybe for a couple months.”

Although she might have met some municipal politicians through that work, she had no contact with elected provincial or federal officials, Marissen said.

“She never did,” he said. “If she had we would have registered her (as a lobbyist).”...

Oh.

I get it now.

'Meeting' with municipal politicians while working for a lobbying shop is not lobbying, but meeting with provincial and/or federal politicians is?

Most interesting that definition don't you think?


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As to the identity of this third man whose name keeps popping up with regard to these lobbying/not lobbying matters....Well....It is neither O.Wells nor G.Greene (or even J.Cotton)...Instead, think big muddy...More on that to come.


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12 comments:

G West said...

And being a high-profile open mike radio kinda lady doesn't put her in contact with an impressionable public?
I guess someone doesn't really understand PR or is it BS they don't get?

Unknown said...

I find this lobbying thing very interesting. Looking over the client list for Burrard Communications, I note that a valued client is none other than Fraser River Port Authority (FRPA). Cynical me wonders what benefits did any of these clients receive. Then I remembered Christy's surprise announcement, immediately after her surprise election,that the iconic Massey Tunnel was to be replaced by a new, but not costed out, bridge. Not only replaced, but removed entirely. The FRPA spends a great deal of money dredging the Fraser annually calling this estuary management, and advertises itself as a "shallow"river port. With the tunnel removed, the river no longer becomes shallow at this point, and bigger, deeper draft ships can navigate upstream and under the new bridge. Seems beneficial to FRPA but maybe not so much for others including us taxpayers http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/critics-fear-ripple-effect-of-massey-tunnels-removal/article14540260/

Anonymous said...

Christy's ex Bruce Marissen was also heavily associated with the, Washington Marine Group. In BC the group is known as Seaspan. The ships that Harper didn't build? Christy Clark had chosen Seaspan, to build those ships.

I believe nothing Marissen nor Christy Clark have denied. I believe the absolute worst from both of them.

Anonymous said...

I'm with you Anonymous 12:55pm!
They have no-track record for telling the truth, only self-serving spin comes from CC's grinning mouth.

Anonymous said...

SH: The Pro-media flockers turn their back on us...

http://veryhilarious.com/im-telling-you/

RossK said...

Anon-A-Few-Above--

Is it possible that you, instead, are referring to Ms. Clark's brother, Mr. Bruce Clark, who both worked for the Washington Marine Group and who also turned up on a most interesting wiretap with a fine fellow named Mr. Basi.

What were they discussing?

Why, a request for proposal to buy a certain chunk of BC Rail known as the 'Spur'...

Later, the Horseman recommended that then Campbellerian cabinet minister, Kevin Falcon, withdraw the request.

Why?

Well, because, according to the RCMP at least, the process was potentially 'tainted'.

Go figure.

______
Just to be clear, despite the distinction described above, it is important to note that Mr. Marrissen, whose first name is Mark, also once dealt directly with the good Mr. Basi, albeit in a very different context.

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Anonymous said...

SH:

Christy and her cohorts have given this Province enough rough love.

September is an eternity...

The sooner Dix goes...

RossK said...

SH--

What do your antennae tell you was behind the Harcourt conflaguration?

Vision writ Provincial, perhaps?

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Anonymous said...

My perceptions are somewhat clouded by my dear father's warmish former relationship with the "stashe...

OK, I'm regrouping after a crazed day here on the little farm, so I'm trying to channel something, anything...

Here goes, and maybe it comes down to mayor on mayor action???

A little six degrees of separation...many moons ago ago I was queezed-out by a picture of Hanson and an a-typically glowering, almost menacing (not typical for photo-ops that is) Gordie...then sometime around that special image, I was re-queezed by the Man in Motion photo-opping with the 'stache...

So I think you get a big fat bingo...

Anonymous said...

SH @ 9:41, and here:

Dix's ode to the underdog--seriously, while Rome is burning,
we need sports trivia?

http://thetyee.ca/Books/2014/03/29/Adrian-Dix-Baseball/

RossK said...

Oh boy - seems to be a whole lotta fiddling going on while the Snooklandians steal homeplate and all the dirt on the basepaths too.

Sometimes I think we should just run comment these conversations on the front page....

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Anonymous said...

Too fast there 10:00 = SH

Trying to watch the tube, and save BC...so exhausting.

On the flip-side: the energy expended to take and break BC must be surely register something on the carbon-meter? Or does the manic destructo focus feed energy upon energy?