ItsAllAboutTheData
ToBolsterTheBaseVille
The new thing to watch for is 'Embrace BC'.
It's a story Jas Johal dangled on Global TV last night.
Embrace BC is a government small grant program aimed at various multicultural and faith-based groups.
But here's the kicker....
The information gathered about the groups during the granting process was to be/is being(?) 'extracted', according to Mr. Johal (and documents in his possession), for....
The BC Liberal Party's election 2013 database.
And guess what?
This all started back in 2009.
Which places its origins smack dab in the middle of late era Gordland.
What are the odds this will come up in Question Period today?
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Bonus footage if you click through on the video...The Director of Bollywood Overreach caught, on camera, bolting for the elevator when confronted by reporters yesterday afternoon.
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Tuesday, March 05, 2013
Monday, March 04, 2013
This Day In Snookland (ctd)...You Keep On Using That Word...
...'Transitory'.
Look.
I know I have been invoking Inigo Montoya from the 'The Princess Bride' a lot recently reciting this famous line....
But I actually think that this particular post is about the 'Reverse Inigo', in which the Snooklandians do not attribute the wrong meaning to a word, but instead they slap both a word and its meaning on 'things' incorrectly.
And in this case those things are Emails sent back and forth amongst members of the Premier's Office which were deemed 'transitory' and as a result, it would appear, they were destroyed.
Bob Mackin, this time in The Tyee, has the story, in which he chases down more from the Information Commissioner's report released earlier today, particularly as it pertains to the fate of presumed E-mails between former deputy chief of staff Kim Haakstad and also former chief of staff Ken Boessenkool:
..."Ms. Haakstad believes that there would have been email communications between her and the former Chief of Staff during the relevant period, but these emails would have been transitory in nature and were deleted before the access request was received," (Info Commissioner) Denham wrote.
According to the Office of the Chief Information Officer, transitory records are items "of temporary usefulness" needed for a limited time to finish a routine action or prepare an ongoing record. Denham concluded the disposal of transitory records is beyond her jurisdiction and is instead within the scope of the Document Disposal Act.
"The general practice within the Office of the Premier is to communicate verbally in person. Email communications usually consist of requests to make telephone calls or meet in person," Denham wrote. "Generally, staff members in the Office of the Premier do not make substantive communication relating to business matters via email."...
Hmmmm...
Don't know about you, but, business-wise, I use my Email for a whole heckuva lot more than just requesting telephone calls or arranging meet-ups. In fact, regarding the latter, Email is just about the worst, which, of course, is why the 'doodle' was invented.
And as for Emails themselves, there is no reason to destroy them from a data storage point of view. Personally, I have thousands and thousands of them, going back years, sitting on this little box I'm pounding away on right now because they take up so little space and they are extremely useful for my own memory.
Regardless, slapping that term 'transitory' on an Email sure is a convienent dodge, eh?
______
Oh, and as the Dean mentioned earlier today, it would appear the Info Commish was not told by Ms. Haakstad that she, and others in the Premier's Office were using non-govt Email for governmentish-type business ...It seems to me that this might be the bigger story here (as opposed to the memo, etc)...After all, who knows what kind of communications were going on....For example, did members of the Premier's Office ever use such channels to exhange governmentish-type info with any, oh I dunno, surrgogattish-type groups?...
And for those out there that are surprised about all this 'government done without writing stuff down, for the record'...Have you not heard of the 'Dobell Doctrine' which goes way, way back to the early days of the Golden Era Preem's O.?
And one last thing....It's not like the convienent destruction of Emails by this bunch hasn't come up before, right?
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This Day In Snookland (ctd)...Ms. Clark Continues To Just 'Say Anything'...
NoCusack
NoBoomBoxVille
...This time in Question Period in the Legislature:
More later....
And where did the Sun News thingy with Mr. Tsakumis go anyway?
_____
What's this reference to the old boombox movie all about?....It's explained....here.
.
NoBoomBoxVille
...This time in Question Period in the Legislature:
Did Premier just say, "there is no evidence to suggest my staff were involved" & then say "I understand that they crafted it"? #bcpoli
— Cassidy Olivier (@cassidyolivier) March 4, 2013
More later....
And where did the Sun News thingy with Mr. Tsakumis go anyway?
_____
What's this reference to the old boombox movie all about?....It's explained....here.
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Boo Radler Returns To Far West Lotusland...
WatchOutForMessagesInTrees
MonroeVilleOnThePacific
Well, well, well....
Whadd'ya know.
The very fine fellow who once worked hand-in-cost-slashing-glove with Conrad Black, and later helped send Mr. Black to prison (and who later went to prison himself, albeit, interestingly enough, for a considerably lesser period), is being brought in for the 'short-term' to run the Victoria Times (no-hyphen) Colonist.
Steve Ladurantaye and Paul Waldie have story in the Globe:
...Mr. (David) Radler – who testified against Lord Black in a U.S. fraud case that saw both men serve jail time – will run the Victoria Times Colonist until a new publisher can be found. But the owners of the 155-year-old paper made it clear in a note to staff that it is in no rush to fill the corner office...
So.
Should VTC staffers be worried?
Of course not says Mr. Radler:
...Staff at the paper worry that Mr. Radler, who has a reputation for running lean newspapers and cutting costs aggressively, was brought in to cut jobs. But Mr. Radler said he wasn’t there to swing an axe, only to guide the paper until a permanent replacement could be found.
“There are no massive cuts,” he said. “There are no cuts at all … it’s amazing that the first thing people think is that we are going to unload people.”...
We'll see about that.
After all, Mr. Radler will be in...Will do his thing...And then, apparently...Poof!...He'll be gone.
______
What's the 'no-hyphen' parenthetical thing, above, all about Alfie?....Well, check this out.
.
MonroeVilleOnThePacific
Well, well, well....
Whadd'ya know.
The very fine fellow who once worked hand-in-cost-slashing-glove with Conrad Black, and later helped send Mr. Black to prison (and who later went to prison himself, albeit, interestingly enough, for a considerably lesser period), is being brought in for the 'short-term' to run the Victoria Times (no-hyphen) Colonist.
Steve Ladurantaye and Paul Waldie have story in the Globe:
...Mr. (David) Radler – who testified against Lord Black in a U.S. fraud case that saw both men serve jail time – will run the Victoria Times Colonist until a new publisher can be found. But the owners of the 155-year-old paper made it clear in a note to staff that it is in no rush to fill the corner office...
So.
Should VTC staffers be worried?
Of course not says Mr. Radler:
...Staff at the paper worry that Mr. Radler, who has a reputation for running lean newspapers and cutting costs aggressively, was brought in to cut jobs. But Mr. Radler said he wasn’t there to swing an axe, only to guide the paper until a permanent replacement could be found.
“There are no massive cuts,” he said. “There are no cuts at all … it’s amazing that the first thing people think is that we are going to unload people.”...
We'll see about that.
After all, Mr. Radler will be in...Will do his thing...And then, apparently...Poof!...He'll be gone.
______
What's the 'no-hyphen' parenthetical thing, above, all about Alfie?....Well, check this out.
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Leader Of The BC Liberal Party Caucus Says..."When The Going Gets Weird The Weird Turn...
...Probe."
Seriously.
BC Lib caucus chair Gordie Hoggsays he is conducting a 2nd internal probe into ethnic voter plan. #bcpoli
— justine_hunter (@justine_hunter) March 4, 2013
Then, apparently, once both probes are complete the good Mr. Hogg will decide whether or not he still supports the giant lead-winged albatross around his, his party's, and this province's neck.
Or some such thing.
______
In other newsish news....Mr. Yap is stepping aside during investigation(s?)...He wasn't even Minister when the memo was written...In fact, based on the cynicism and the 'language' of the memo itself, some might even wonder if Mr. Yap was actually appointed because of it....
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This Day In Snookland (ctd)...All The Non-Deletions Of All The Non-Transitory Records That Fit.
Records?
WhatRecords?Ville
So.
Mr. John Dyble and the fine public servant Ms. Lynda Tarras are going to run the investigation into the Ethnic Voter Manipulation Strategy, whose 'language' the (not)Premier apologized for yesterday...
Hmmmm...
Wasn't Ms. Tarras involved in that investigation of the other person who previously resigned from the (not)Premier's office, the then Chief (not deputy!) of Staff, Mr. Ken Boessenkool?
And, in true 'Dobell Doctrine' fashion, was there not a complete absence of records, transitory or otherwise, of said investigation that was led by the good Ms. Tarras?
Well....
Yes.
Of course that was the case.
And the Provincial Information and Privacy Commissioner has just finally noticed.
Yay!
From the latter's official press release, released....today.
...With regard to the resignation of the Premier’s former Chief of Staff (Mr. Boessenkool), the investigation did not reveal any responsive records. However, the Commissioner asked the Office of the Premier to ensure its practices regarding the deletion of transitory records are consistent with those recommended by the government’s central information management office...
Hmmmm....
Don't know about you but I, for one, am completely reassured that the Office of Premier has been 'asked' nicely by the Information Commissioner to 'ensure' that 'it' doesn't delete 'transitory' records anymore.
And just who, specifically, is this 'Office of the Premier' personage anyway?
Because.
You know.
From the Dean, on the Twittmachine today, there is also...
This...
_______
Mr. Palmer's feed is full of this kind of stuff today, all of which is...highly recommended.
.
WhatRecords?Ville
So.
Mr. John Dyble and the fine public servant Ms. Lynda Tarras are going to run the investigation into the Ethnic Voter Manipulation Strategy, whose 'language' the (not)Premier apologized for yesterday...
Hmmmm...
Wasn't Ms. Tarras involved in that investigation of the other person who previously resigned from the (not)Premier's office, the then Chief (not deputy!) of Staff, Mr. Ken Boessenkool?
And, in true 'Dobell Doctrine' fashion, was there not a complete absence of records, transitory or otherwise, of said investigation that was led by the good Ms. Tarras?
Well....
Yes.
Of course that was the case.
And the Provincial Information and Privacy Commissioner has just finally noticed.
Yay!
From the latter's official press release, released....today.
...With regard to the resignation of the Premier’s former Chief of Staff (Mr. Boessenkool), the investigation did not reveal any responsive records. However, the Commissioner asked the Office of the Premier to ensure its practices regarding the deletion of transitory records are consistent with those recommended by the government’s central information management office...
Hmmmm....
Don't know about you but I, for one, am completely reassured that the Office of Premier has been 'asked' nicely by the Information Commissioner to 'ensure' that 'it' doesn't delete 'transitory' records anymore.
And just who, specifically, is this 'Office of the Premier' personage anyway?
Because.
You know.
From the Dean, on the Twittmachine today, there is also...
This...
#bcpoli Kim Haakstad told info commissioner, in Boessenkool, case that Clark's office doesn't write things down.
— VaughnPalmer (@VaughnPalmer) March 4, 2013
_______
Mr. Palmer's feed is full of this kind of stuff today, all of which is...highly recommended.
.
This Day In Snookland...There Is No Truth To The Rumour That...
...There Is Nothing Unscheduled In The Schedule.
From Macleans' Ken MacQueen on yesterday's 'routine' late Sunday afternoon BC Liberal government cabinet meeting:
...To hear cabinet members tell it, the extraordinary cabinet meeting Sunday was merely business as usual. While it was an unscheduled meeting it was not an emergency meeting they all insisted. In fact, when you get down to it, it wasn’t even an unscheduled meeting, said Transportation Minister Mary Polak. “From time to time, cabinet does get together outside of its regular schedule. What does unscheduled mean?” she asked. “As soon as you schedule it, it’s scheduled.”...
Is there anything these people will not fudge, obfuscate and/or lie about?
______
In more news of the fully scheduled...Apparently Ms. Clark will speak to her caucus after ledge business is done for the day...Gosh... Does this mean that the (not)Premier will actually have to subject herself to Victoria's 'sick' culture all day long...
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The Apology That Christy Clark Did Not Make.
TheNewsOfMsClark'sApology
HasBeenGreatlyExaggeratedVille
The following is a direct transcription of a portion of Ms. Clark's remarks to the media following the non-emergency/emergency cabinet meeting late Sunday afternoon:
"...I sincerely apologize for the language that was used in that document.
It's language that isn't...It just isn't worth repeating.
So, I think that when you make a mistake...When somebody in your organization makes a mistake...The right thing to do is to own up to it and to make right...Make it right.
And that's why I apologize, because we have to make it right..."
Again, please note what Ms. Clark did not apologize for...
First, she did not apologize for the (multicultural strategic outreach) 'document' itself.
Second, she did not apologize for the ethnic voter manipulation strategy that was contained within said document.
Third, she did not apologize for the fact that the document and the detailed procedural 'spreadsheet' that emerged later called for multiple members of her office to utilize government staff, government resources, and government data for BC Liberal Party purposes.
Instead, the only thing she actually apologized for was the 'language' in the document.
OK?
_____
The video used to make the transcription above can be found here....It will be interesting to see how many media organs report this non-apology apology accurately...
Regarding the sub-header....Well....Two can play that Samuel Clemens game.
.
HasBeenGreatlyExaggeratedVille
The following is a direct transcription of a portion of Ms. Clark's remarks to the media following the non-emergency/emergency cabinet meeting late Sunday afternoon:
"...I sincerely apologize for the language that was used in that document.
It's language that isn't...It just isn't worth repeating.
So, I think that when you make a mistake...When somebody in your organization makes a mistake...The right thing to do is to own up to it and to make right...Make it right.
And that's why I apologize, because we have to make it right..."
Again, please note what Ms. Clark did not apologize for...
First, she did not apologize for the (multicultural strategic outreach) 'document' itself.
Second, she did not apologize for the ethnic voter manipulation strategy that was contained within said document.
Third, she did not apologize for the fact that the document and the detailed procedural 'spreadsheet' that emerged later called for multiple members of her office to utilize government staff, government resources, and government data for BC Liberal Party purposes.
Instead, the only thing she actually apologized for was the 'language' in the document.
OK?
_____
The video used to make the transcription above can be found here....It will be interesting to see how many media organs report this non-apology apology accurately...
Regarding the sub-header....Well....Two can play that Samuel Clemens game.
.
Sunday, March 03, 2013
Clark Watch 3000...(Today's) Game Called Due To Darkness.
There'sNoMeetingLikeAnEmergencyMeetingFilledWith
SycophantsVille
It's a.....'Non'-result?
6:40pm...proMedia Twittmachine post-game onslaught to follow...
6:42pm...CKNW's SWoodford says all ministers say CClark will lead them into next election...Also says CC will speak to media...
6:45pm...Twitterati do know that if you're a cabinet minister and you disagree with leader who appointed you that you have to quit, right?...
6:47pm...Ben Stewart says that Darth Vader's 24 hrs investigation may show results by end of the week...say what?
6:50pm...deJong says guarantees full support for budget conf vote on Tuesday...Really Mikey...Really???!!!...So you've bent time and you've already had that caucus meeting tomorrow?...sheesh.
6:52pm...Ida Chong says they will still go ahead with next 'quick win' in the strategy.
7:15pm...CClark tells the (post-6 o'clock) news media that it is her privilege to lead her 'team'... Contradicts IChong...says more will come on that 'quick win' later in week...Say what?
7:18pm...CClark apologizes for the 'language' that was used in 'that' document?....It's a non-denial denial apology?...Wow....Look's like she is still reading from her 'Say Anything' script...
7:20pm...Bob Ransford says...
7:26pm...Signing off...Have a Whackadoodle to walk.
.
SycophantsVille
It's a.....'Non'-result?
6:40pm...proMedia Twittmachine post-game onslaught to follow...
6:42pm...CKNW's SWoodford says all ministers say CClark will lead them into next election...Also says CC will speak to media...
6:45pm...Twitterati do know that if you're a cabinet minister and you disagree with leader who appointed you that you have to quit, right?...
6:47pm...Ben Stewart says that Darth Vader's 24 hrs investigation may show results by end of the week...say what?
6:50pm...deJong says guarantees full support for budget conf vote on Tuesday...Really Mikey...Really???!!!...So you've bent time and you've already had that caucus meeting tomorrow?...sheesh.
6:52pm...Ida Chong says they will still go ahead with next 'quick win' in the strategy.
7:15pm...CClark tells the (post-6 o'clock) news media that it is her privilege to lead her 'team'... Contradicts IChong...says more will come on that 'quick win' later in week...Say what?
7:18pm...CClark apologizes for the 'language' that was used in 'that' document?....It's a non-denial denial apology?...Wow....Look's like she is still reading from her 'Say Anything' script...
7:20pm...Bob Ransford says...
When the BC cabinet united behind Premier VanderZalm after Ministers McCarthy and Smith resigned the doomsday clock started ticking. #bcpoli
— Bob Ransford (@BobRansford) March 4, 2013
7:26pm...Signing off...Have a Whackadoodle to walk.
.
Clark Watch 3000...The Spincycle Keeps Cranking...
...From inside the non-emergency, emergency cabinet meeting.
Seriously.
The rumours of our demise have been greatly exaggerated #bcpoli
— Bill Bennett (@KootenayBill) March 4, 2013
Meanwhile, paid ampli-spinner calls it 'delightful'.
Is it any wonder that these fine folks aren't actually governing?
.
Clark Watch 3000...On Today's Half-Time Show...
AllTheSurrogatesThatFit
IntoAShrinkingPhoneBoothVille
...Mr. Geoff Plant, the former BC Liberal Party Attorney General and the very fine fellow who has argued vehemently that the generation of an 'understanding' just before the six million dollar deal that ended the Railgate trial was not a prior 'inducement', is on the Twittmachine this afternoon saying today's game is meaningless...
.
IntoAShrinkingPhoneBoothVille
...Mr. Geoff Plant, the former BC Liberal Party Attorney General and the very fine fellow who has argued vehemently that the generation of an 'understanding' just before the six million dollar deal that ended the Railgate trial was not a prior 'inducement', is on the Twittmachine this afternoon saying today's game is meaningless...
Here is the actual news so far today, twitter hyperventilation notwithstanding: the BC Cabinet is meeting. Pretty exciting, huh? #bcpoli
— Geoff Plant (@GeoffreyPlant) March 4, 2013
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Clark Watch 3000....Some Pictures Say A Billion Words.
It's Bond.....Shirley Bond!
Going into the super-secret, cone-of-silence emergency cabinet meeting that Mary Polak is saying is not an emergency.
Or some such thing.
Why no pictures of Ms. Clark?
Well.... She reportedly snuck in through the backdoor before anyone else got there.
Surprised?
Meanwhile...
Ben Chin, Snooklandian Communication thingy says meeting will last a couple of hours and that the (still then?) Premier will address media afterward...
(Image from Cassidy Olivier's pre-game Twittmachine feed)
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Why Did Ms. Haakstad Resign Before John Dyble's Investigation Began?
WhatUsWorry
WizardsGoneWildVille
Well.
As Opposition house leader John Horgan told Sean Leslie on CKNW this afternoon...
Now that Ms. Haakstad is no longer a member of the public service, the head of the public service, Mr. John Dyble, cannot compel her to answer any of his investigatory questions whatsoever.
Given that, can the others listed at the top of the 'spreadsheet' be far behind (i.e. as of 5:01pm today if Ms. Clark is 'still' the Premier when the supersonic, cone-of-silence emergency cabinet meeting lets out ha!)?
____
BTW...Best pre-game show is...Cassidy Olivier's Twittmachine feed.
.
WizardsGoneWildVille
Well.
As Opposition house leader John Horgan told Sean Leslie on CKNW this afternoon...
Now that Ms. Haakstad is no longer a member of the public service, the head of the public service, Mr. John Dyble, cannot compel her to answer any of his investigatory questions whatsoever.
Given that, can the others listed at the top of the 'spreadsheet' be far behind (i.e. as of 5:01pm today if Ms. Clark is 'still' the Premier when the supersonic, cone-of-silence emergency cabinet meeting lets out ha!)?
____
BTW...Best pre-game show is...Cassidy Olivier's Twittmachine feed.
.
Meanwhile In Non-Clark Watch 3000 Local Lotuslandian News...
There'sNoLawLike
Murphy'sLaw
...The real world intrudes, as Sara Norman of CKNW tells us:
It took the Sea-Island coast guard thirty-one minutes to respond to a boat that had run aground in English Bay Saturday afternoon. Crews left the base at 4:39pm, arriving on scene at 5:10.
Coast Guard officials say if crews had been at the now closed Kitsilano Coast Guard Base, the response time would have been mere minutes...
Sheesh.
_____
H/T.... CTypes
.
Murphy'sLaw
...The real world intrudes, as Sara Norman of CKNW tells us:
It took the Sea-Island coast guard thirty-one minutes to respond to a boat that had run aground in English Bay Saturday afternoon. Crews left the base at 4:39pm, arriving on scene at 5:10.
Coast Guard officials say if crews had been at the now closed Kitsilano Coast Guard Base, the response time would have been mere minutes...
Sheesh.
_____
H/T.... CTypes
.
Clark Watch 3000...The State(r)gy Marches On...
WhatUsWorry
We'veGotElevenMillionToSpend!Ville
First, the following, from Pamela Martin on last night's Twittmachine feed (yes...last night!)...
Next, BC Liberal Party members, many of whom the Wizards of Snooklandia presumably thought would respond positively to their strate(r)gy, voice their displeasure this morning (yes, this morning!)...
SURREY, B.C. - Some members of B.C.'s governing Liberal party are publicly calling for Premier Christy Clark to resign over a scandal involving the wooing of ethnic voters.
The party members describe themselves as "especially with ethnic background" of Indo- and South Asian descent.
They say they agreed over a Sunday breakfast meeting in Surrey to call for Clark to step down.
Their call comes hours ahead of an emergency cabinet meet she's called today to address the scandal.
In a news release the party members say that 89 members passed a one-line declaration because Clark has made "the ethnic vote a joke" in the province...
Meanwhile, from the rarified air of the proPundit perch overlooking the ClarkWatch 3K, Mr. Baldrey has this to say...
_____
And do not think that the irony of the 89 BCL party members mentioned above is lost upon us given the M.O. of a certain operative that used to run the Boyz....
.
We'veGotElevenMillionToSpend!Ville
First, the following, from Pamela Martin on last night's Twittmachine feed (yes...last night!)...
Next, BC Liberal Party members, many of whom the Wizards of Snooklandia presumably thought would respond positively to their strate(r)gy, voice their displeasure this morning (yes, this morning!)...
SURREY, B.C. - Some members of B.C.'s governing Liberal party are publicly calling for Premier Christy Clark to resign over a scandal involving the wooing of ethnic voters.
The party members describe themselves as "especially with ethnic background" of Indo- and South Asian descent.
They say they agreed over a Sunday breakfast meeting in Surrey to call for Clark to step down.
Their call comes hours ahead of an emergency cabinet meet she's called today to address the scandal.
In a news release the party members say that 89 members passed a one-line declaration because Clark has made "the ethnic vote a joke" in the province...
****
Meanwhile, from the rarified air of the proPundit perch overlooking the ClarkWatch 3K, Mr. Baldrey has this to say...
The premier has Bond, Bell, Lake, MacDiarmid, Polak and Bennett in her corner. Not many more I suspect (in cabinet). #bcpoli
— Keith Baldrey (@keithbaldrey) March 3, 2013
_____
And do not think that the irony of the 89 BCL party members mentioned above is lost upon us given the M.O. of a certain operative that used to run the Boyz....
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