Friday, May 13, 2016

The $150,000 Paperless Gift...Does The Premier's Spokesperson Know Something That The Premier Does Not?

TheirConversationsWereShortAnd
SweetVille


This week our fine premier responded to questions in the legislature from the leader of the Opposition about $150,000 of provincial money that was given to do a feasibility study to expand a school on Haida Gwaii that does not fall under provincial jurisdiction thusly:

J. Horgan: When you met with chiefs in September (2015), did they identify this school as a priority, and is that why you ended up in Haida Gwaii on November 26 (2015)?

Hon. C. Clark: I met with a lot of chiefs that day, and a lot of chiefs met with a lot of different ministers. I can’t give the member a full accounting of what all of them and all of their elected representatives talked to ministers and deputies about.



Interestingly, however, our fine premier's spokesperson said something slightly different to CKNW's Matt Lee back in December after the story first broke back in December of 2015 thanks to the work of the Globe's Mark Hume:

"...Spokesperson Ben Chin says the province has been discussing expanding the local school in Old Massett for more than a year, and that Premier Christy Clark was not aware of any wind farm proposal tied to her brother Bruce Clark..."


Gosh.

Do you see what I see (re: dates 'n stuff)?

And as for that wind farm proposal thingy backed by the premier's brother that the premier knew absolutely nothing about according to the good Mr. Chin?

Well...

It turns out that the Premier did receive a direct conversational/paperless request for the money from someone who does.

Know about the wind farm proposal from the premier's brother I mean.

OK?


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Blogger Merv Adey reported first on the re-emergence of this story....Here.
Laila follows up ....Here.
I have my say...Here.
As for the local proMedia?....Absolute crickets so far....



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18 comments:

Lew said...

This morning on CKNW, two supposed journalists (veterans if you please) Vaughn Palmer and Jon McComb discussed the debate in the legislature highlighted in Merv’s post.

http://bit.ly/27jVdfj

Their take? Christy got the best of Horgan because he became frustrated, and if that continues in the election campaign it will be to her advantage.

Think about that. A Premier stands in the Legislature and acts like a four-year old while disrespecting the citizens of this province on an issue that has impropriety written all over it, and they think it’s funny. Absolutely no recognition on their part that there are major unanswered questions on several levels here and that it is their job as journalists to get us the answers Christy Clark won’t give our Legislature.

They’re trying to distract us with the process, rather than the substance of the issues, and they should both be ashamed of themselves.

RossK said...

Clearly, anything that happens in the legislature these days is all just a game to the Dean now.


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North Van's Grumps said...

The Tyee on Christy Clark's inner six eg. Bruce Clark's response then

.. by the time of his sister's swearing-in as premier, Clark had resigned his position as Green Island's vice-president.

As for his other power ventures, Clark said he no longer has any direct interest in proposed projects that "require discretion" on the part of the British Columbia government, rather than just routine regulatory approvals.

"My exit from my British Columbia projects was something that was a priority when Christy made the decision to get back into politics."

He said he exited those projects to guard against any appearance of conflict of interest.

http://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2011/10/24/Christy-Clark-Inner-Circle/

RossK said...

NVG--

Well, alrighty then.

I guess that fully explains...

...This.

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North Van's Grumps said...

So what changed that all of a sudden there wouldn't be an appearance of a CONFLICT OF INTEREST? .... desperation to spend $150,000! to buy votes locally and provincially

RossK said...

NVG--

A capsule summary...

1) Mr. Rea supports Mr. Clark's power project.
2) Mr. Rea is in an election campagin tussel with opponent who does not support Mr. Clark's windpower project.
3) Mr. Clark speaks to Mr. Rea and tells him to contact in gov't.
4) Mr. Rea speaks to Ms. Clark and she gives him $150K with no procedural explanation at a quickly scheduled photo-op two weeks before election. This garners positive local press.
5) Mr. Rea wins election by 42 votes.

And Mr. Palmer says this isn't worth investigating because he concludes that Mr. Horgan was, in his words, 'frustrated' in the ledge to Ms. Clark's 'advantage'?

Sheesh.


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Anonymous said...

NVG wrote:

"My exit from my British Columbia projects was something that was a priority when Christy made the decision to get back into politics."

He said he exited those projects to guard against any appearance of conflict of interest.

If only Paul Fraser, BC's conflict commissioner, thought such thoughts.

North Van's Grumps said...

RossK link to "positive local press" includes this:

Chief Matthews Elementary went from 28th on a long list of schools awaiting funding, to the number one position overnight.

Is there a link to the long list of 27? Are they, or were they, BC Liberal Ridings?

e.a.f. said...

what makes this all so interesting is: clown Christy handing over a $150K cheque to "study" a school. Hell the school isn't a B.C. school and the rest of the schools in B.C. are a mess. How about Christy starts handing out $150K to each of the public schools in this province so they can get rid of the lead in the drinking water in some of these schools.

some schools could use the $150K to feed the kids at school. there is so little money within their families they can't afford to feed their children. Welcome to the school system of clown Christy.

Anonymous said...

Bcl only give out blank cheques written in invisible ink ,and document them on post it notes.?
ok who turned on the fan?

Anonymous said...

SH:

Impressions at the Leg.: good cop, bad cop:

Curious George ‏@impishchimp 18m
18 minutes ago
Weaver says Christy Clark made 'utterly bizarre' comments about global warming nationalobserver.com/2016/05/13/new… #bcpoli

"While the scientific community has understood the link between global warming and the increasing occurrence of large wildfires for quite some time, the premier’s statement is utterly bizarre," he said. "It’s about time that this government level with British Columbians and point out that developing an LNG industry in B.C. is simply not compatible with climate leadership."

Anonymous said...

Hey Ross, Did I see a comment by you disappear on CBC website this am ? Seems the CBC gods felt your comment was against the rules. I often see comments that should be deleted because of pure hate or gross name calling but the it's only the one's that make sense and are discrediting the Liberal BS that get deleted.

Guy in Victoria

Anonymous said...

I also saw Ross' comment disappear from the cbc story this morning. The MSM in BC is a pathetic.

RossK said...

Don't think it was mine.

Haven't commented at CBC recently.

Was it inflammatory?


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Anonymous said...

It was simply a link to one of your recent articles. One moment it's there and then.... not.

Guy in Victoria

RossK said...

Ahhhh...

That's interesting, isn't it.


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RossK said...

Just went and checked...

There were a whole lot of links incoming to this here little F Troop list blog from that MoCo 'She's always campaigning' piece by R. Zussman.

Can't have folks flocking over to an idiot blogger pointing out uncomfortable truths about what Ms. Clark, Mr. Clark, Mr. Rea and Mr. Chin actually said about a matter of import, I suppose.

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North Van's Grumps said...

"I can’t give the member a full accounting of what all of them and all of their elected representatives talked to ministers and deputies about."

If not a full accounting, then how about mostly full accounting.

Do the ministers and deputies even present an accounting to the premier? Do they just have their own little irons in the fires, bailiwicks?

Do TFN representatives eg. Ken Rea, keep others well informed on how to gain funds, via Bruce Clark, by handing out the Premier's gold plated business cards?