BC Liberals Plummeting: The Devastating Hits Just Keep On Comin’ While Premier Clark Just Keeps on Slummin’
Here’s the BC Liberals day yesterday:
The Premier’s best galpal and chief operative is married to a guy who was the oblivious recipient of his SECOND UNTENDERED plum in three months; the Minister of Health claims that in the hiring of the aforementioned lucky duck, he of the untendered contract, “guidelines weren’t entirely followed” delivering the understatement of the year that registered an 11.o on the Richter scale for lying and/or deflecting, and wins him the government’s annual ‘Hooked On Phonics Award’ for biggest dunce in Cabinet (apparently he had to wrestle the trophy from Shirley Bond’s hands); it’s reported that the previous day, the Minister of Finance–the Deputy Premier only in title, acted like a complete jackass in the Legislature as he thumbed his nose at the overwhelming number of people in BC that voted against the HST; the Minister of Community’s cop brother is brought down in yet second case of misconduct (why wasn’t this assclown turfed after the first time?) and the Premier’s office sends out an unedited press release on what a success 14 lunches, 16 dinners, 60 photo ops and she and the Minister of Health dancing bhangra disco were as she was jet-setting on your taxbuck from Shanghai to Bangalore.
By the way, the Premier would like all of you to know that she is running a tight ship. She’s fully engaged in the leading of this professional responsible government….
Queue the laugh track!
It strains credulity that she knew nothing of the hiring of her top operative’s husband to such a seemingly specific, obscure post! How did Stewart Muir find out about this opening?! Who gave him the heads up? This is a very important point and yet instead of exploring such a pertinent issue, Vaughn Palmer, on with the incomparable Job McComb this morning, makes the unbelievable statement that this could be “one of those situations…where the Premier knew nothing of it….”
Honestly, with speculation like that from the dean of the BC media, is it any wonder we are in such peril? He and Keith Baldrey pulled off the same non-heroics last week when the Basi-Virk settlement came up on the Vanilla Man’s segment, ‘Cutting the Cheese from the Ledge’.
What kind of asinine speculation is that? Vaughn knows how government works. He knows how THIS GOVERNMENT works, and he certainly knows how THIS PREMIER works! I’ve given up hope that Keith will do something with any vigor, but Vaughn? He knows better than that.
However, let’s for a minute speculate that she didn’t know a thing. Let’s say Vaughn’s right, that Christy Clark had NO CLUE her best girlfriend’s hubby was getting hired Greek-style to yet another plum job.
Then she shouldn’t be Premier. What kind of government doesn’t have any checks and balances, enough that something like this happens–that’s a clear conflict, that’s totally inappropriate?
Christy Clark is either lying or she’s incompetent, take your pick, either way, this is not a worthy leader by any stretch.
Open and transparent government, the Premier claims? Bollocks! This is the most secretive government we’ve ever endured. We’re slumming it with this woman as Premier. I never thought we could get lower than Campbell, but she has exceeded all expectations and the media are mostly to blame.
And, of course, that same mainstream press will allow this to just wash away, because a dead baby giraffe and a colder winter are more important in the first segment at six o’clock….PATHETIC!
How was it VIHA didn’t see the terrible, obvious conflict? What did Ms. Mentzelopoulos know and when did she know it? Why is no one banging down her door to ask? Shouldn’t she have told the Premier about her husband’s pending hire as a government bureaucrat? The rarely Divine Ms. M should be canned for such an omission, no?
Beyond pathetic that no one is pursuing this.
The only major news source that has covered this story properly, and the Basi-Virk entrails, is the one that has become my favorite newspaper in the province: The Victoria Times-Colonist. Superb work! My heartiest compliments to them.
Excellent points, Alex, as usual; right to the crux of the matter. Perhaps Snookikins, ignoramus that she is, and her contemptible cadre, ignorami that they are, just thought that no one would notice or deign to question the move if they did. Hubris and stupidity should never be mixed – it turns into the mustard gas of government.
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Superb comment! Absolutely right on the money.
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for me christy is both, if she truly knew nothing on this hiring she should be firing the person reponsible.
with all that is going on in bc politics where is the b c conservitave party ? not a peep
if i was john cummins i would be in victoria each day the house sat
i would be holding press scums in the hallways of the legislature.
this man is pissing away a golden opportunity to show that he is a viable
choice.
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I know, I thought of this last night. Cummins and Dix, really, just sitting back and saying nothing. Pathetic.
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I know Cummins was in West Kelowna last night having a town hall and talking about the land deal between the Provincial government and 1st Nations. I didn’t go so I don’t know if it came up or not.
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harry,
Usually it’s Alex who coins the most appropriate phrase.
But given the (non) performance of the mainstream media in recent memory, your use of “press scums” has me wondering: is it an accidental or on-purpose typo. Great comment either way.
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This astonishing behaviour is indicative of a government that doesn’t visualize themselves winning an election, so instead raid the till while they can.
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Like I said, “And Bobby got a new puppy”!
Don’t forget about the daily showing of the “Messy flour kids” on the noon and six o’clock broadcasts, everyday this week.
Is the video a “Hoax”? Can’t wait to find out.
Yesterday in the legislature, not a peep about Christy’s buddy’s husband appointment from the NDP………NOTHING!!!
Are the NDP holding on to something bigger to talk about?
Oh well, guess I will have to wait until the 6 o’clock news to find out about the “flour kid’s”. LOL!
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I know, it’s pathetic.
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Interesting to point out to you, as if you didn’t know already, that Point Gray gave Christy Clark her MLA shtick and Gregor Robertson his majority… Is Point Grey now inhabited by idiots?
fair question.
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Not really. The traditional NPA and BC Liberal vote are staying home, otherwise it’d be a wash in NPA colours and Christy wouldn’t have had a near-death experience in Point Grey.
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Alex | read Les Leyne’s column this morning and he said that the NDP. has it’s own troubles in pork barreling when they were in Government. Mike smith had a great column yesterday about wegdies. I would think when you throw shit around some of it might land on yourself and it doesn’t smell very good. As a NDP voting person I was more than a little disapointed in Adrian Dix not jumping all over it. Some times i guess you just have to shake your head and keep your lips tightly closed.cheers
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Yes, but in this one he offered nothing. Mind, Farnworth, who I think the world of, did an admirable job on all the stations.
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It is all about optics. Is it not Ms. Mentzelopoulos job to know what optics are? Of course she does. The woman is no idiot, I hear that she is actually brilliant & experienced. So for Ms. Mentzelopoulos not to know the details behind her husband getting the job is pure baloney. Maybe Snookie didn’t know but Ms. Mentzelopoulos sure as hell did and should be publicly blasted for what she did/did not do to prevent the bad optics in this case.
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Athena Mentzelopoulos is a very intelligent woman, but hardly brilliant.
That she knew is obvious. Now to go beyond the circumstantial…
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Alex, you’ve used all the right punches to expose this fake, tragic World Wresting Entertainment soap opera.
Either all these people are the most intellectually lazy lot on the planet, or they are all colluding in a clumsy attempt to hide the fact that they are 27 people sharing one crappy brain.
But what about “the dean of BC media”, is he really that vapid, or does somebody have him by the balls? He consistently refuses to see the facts and instead insists on trying to orally plunger his semi-solid poo up the public anus. Maybe a name change for him is in order; “Vain Plumber” perhaps? Vaughn, you’re “disinfo” – nobody believes you… f*cK off!
Most puzzling to me however, is wtf are the NDP waiting for? Don’t they want to win this battle… and then the war?
This is one of many knock-out opportunities they’ve been handed, yet they do little… staying on the outside, throwing an occasional jab to keep the audience from booing too much and thinking that maybe there is no real fight at all, and this match is only an exhibition for the sheeple.
The more I see this BS unfold, the more I’m convinced that BC Politics and the BC main stream media are no more germaine than World Wresting Entertainment!
“Bread & Circus”! Nothing more.
Cage match anyone?
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You know what hit me as I was coming out if my workout today?
I was thinking about precisely your excellent point that the NDP aren’t even launching a jab or upper cut–nothing.
What if they’re not capable?
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Or too scared. They have lots of skeletons in their closet as well over the years, and today.
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No, the NDP are keeping quiet.
They’ve taken the “quiet diplomacy” route (i.e. silence) on lots of health care related horror stories, only every once in a while do they take the bit in their teeth, just to score some points. But on many other cases, nada.
Could it be that they are protecting their considerable base of health care union members? If so, that doesn’t give me many good feelings about how they’d perform as the government again. We need a government that will go to bat for us all, not just their friends.
I heard the CEO of the Vancouver Island Health Authority being interviewed by CBC Radio just hours before the contract was cancelled, and he was downright arrogant in his dismissal of there being any problem with hiring this husband of Christy’s pal.
The Health Authority was probably trying to sneak in a heavy-hitter PR guy to help them cover up all the scandals that VIHA has been involved in lately.
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Is there a link to that?
Once upon a time there was a meeting between union and Management over the closure of Cowichan Lodge and other Dementia Facilities.
Statistics cited about the number of deaths which would be hastened, to put it politely, by moving the elderly.
A representative of Waldner was quoted as saying :”these are acceptable losses”.
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Loved seeing Crusty on the news last night having a sgt. shultz moment, I see nothing ! I know nothing ! Hahahahaah lmao !
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HOOOOOOGAN!
As long as that makes me Hogan!
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On the Times-Colonist, it has had a tough go over the last few years. Many factors have had an influence on this venerable institution. It saddens me to think this newspaper represents the “Capital” of British Columbia, the seat of power; contrary to the belief of some in the lower mainland.
A combination of dwindling advertising revenue (due to emerging on-line competition) to support a proper newsroom and becoming a parrot of Postmedia broke the back of this once fine newspaper.
Add to this, Gordon Campbell moving the cabinet to rented offices in Vancouver and avoiding legislative sittings, the real and proper role of a Capital city became redundant. I truly expected the Liberals to pitch the idea of making Vancouver the Capital of B.C.
The T.C. resembles a provincial town rag.
Recently things are starting to look up though, the legislature is being used again, and Postmedia have sold the T.C.
Rob Shaw and Cindy Hartnett have held the front page for the last two days with something relevant and newsworthy.
Lets hope it lasts
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The Times-COlivier, right now, is the best paper in BC.
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I think that the state of journalism in the province and the country (with broadcasters being appointed as senators, Governors General, and diplomats) is what upsets me the most. Far more than the politicians! While I understood long go that politicians are not statespeople in the noble sense of the word, I can never get over the fact that journalism (whether corporate or public) no longer serves the public the way they once did–and many folks haven’t realized this yet. Reading, listening, and viewing critically for bias, omission and spin occurs too rarely. Grrrr! Kudos to the T-C from the sounds of it.
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It has earned the nick “Times-Communist”.
All the while bashing business, its advert sales decline and decline, small wonder.
It will have to do more than be the echo chamber of the NDP, preaching to the choir of supporters in Greater Victoria, to bounce back.
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You mean a paper that actually reports, wow, there is hope, glowball, Vancouver fun, and the provincial , are nothing but government bulletin boards.
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Don’t get too hopeful about the T-C, just like the NDP, every once in a while they do a story or two. Whenever the public starts to get on their case.
You wouldn’t believe the stuff the T-C ignores on a routine basis. I’m not blaming the reporters, it’s their bosses I blame.
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It’s too bad there’s no way to censure incompetent news men [I use that term loosely] like can be done with lawyers, doctors etc.and get the three stooges Vaughn, Keith and Vanilla man out of the reporting business,it is pathetic just listening to them. I heard harder hitting interviews conducted by Kermit The Frog on Sesame Street.Maybe all three will end up in the Premiers office as assistants to Snooki,that is if they’re not already there.
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Alex, you’re probably right, the NDP may well be incapable warriors.
And if they’re incapable now, when the heavyweight championship belt is being offered to them gratis by way of “Lieberal” self-defeat, how the hell are they going to fare when the bought & paid for corporate mainstream media whores and special interests groups like Vaughn Palmer, Keith Baldrey, Bill Good and The Fraser Institute Stink Tank start bashing the sh*t out of them.
No Mas! No Mas!
The NDP had lots of chances to deliver heavy body shots to Gordo The Drunk while he was in power – lies, huge deficits, cost over-runs, selling public assets, etc. – but they wouldn’t get in there and fight smart, create a public spectacle at the right time, at the right place and relentlessly expose him..
Timid? Lack of Skill? Fear? Whatever it was, it looks like deja vu all over again to me. They’ll probably win the election by default, but like the proverbial dog that catches the bus, once he’s caught it, he doesn’t know what to do with it. Once the NDP win, will they know what to do with victory… or will it just run over them?
John Cummins & the PC’s are the most surprising. They too are not in attack mode. What do you suppose their problem is? Is there something in the water? Are they just as gutless & inept as the NDP?
Something just occurred to me: what an odd twist it would be if the subject of this fiasco, Stewart Muir ended up back at The Vancouver Sun (or some other mainstream media propaganda rag) in a position that enabled “smear Muir” to fling some sh*tballs of revenge.
Or better yet, have his staff handform, organic sh*tballs, using just the right recipe, in just the right shape – and he could dictate to them who the recipients should be, how many they should get, and when.
Under this hypothetical, who do you suppose would receive the most sh*t sandwiches – The “Lieberals”, The NDP, The PC’s, “Chrispy Crotch”… so many targets – who would it be Stewart?
Revenge is a dish best served cold.
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BC Ls and Crotch are done.
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As for the NDP they still know MSM will cozy up with Liberals and spin anything they say so they approach with caution and measured responses
the media has almost forced them but i am told from inside they are just waiting and can do so Liberals are shooting themselves full of holes the NDP people i know here say they have it all ready for an election campaign when they get what they pay for out of MSM and control the mesages from advertising they are willing to take no chances on Baldry or Good among others in MSM cant say i blame them..
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Ya know, when the Liberal leadership race results were announced and Snooki own, plenty of people in the crowd were murmuring audibly “There goes the party.” So I think a lot of people knew that she would stoop lower than El Gordo, purposely or no. Because let’s face it. At least he’s smart even though he’s an absolute loon.
She, on the other hand, makes Bubbles from Trailer Park Boys look like a MENSA member. Cha’.
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This is your Blog Post on YouTube:
http://youtu.be/IwfnEEfcD4Y
After the 1st paragraph, this is all I could see, hear and feel.
Massive destruction, indeed.
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Good piece Alex. How does the old saying go: “Dear Snooki, Please don’t live down to my expectations”. She’s doing that and worse, aong with the rest of the fools we’re forced to accept as a government. It’s going to be a long 12+ months until we can get rid of this bunch.
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Alex, I wish the Times Colonist would put your column, in the place of Les(what would you like me to write madam premier) Layne.
)
Oh the possibilities,
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Too kind.
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I don’t know if it was Baldrey or Palmer talking on the noon news today, but he noted that the NDP hadn’t mentioned the hiring scandal in question period, sticking instead to “BC Rail questions”, which, he said, was Legislature-speak for “nothing much of interest happening today”
I looked in your general direction when I heard that – figured I’d see a huge cloud of smoke from the explosion. Perhaps you were out of town.
It really IS hard to get through to them, isn’t it?
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It was Baldrey.
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When Cristy said it was “Family First” perhaps the media only reported a small sound byte but not the whole statement.
Maybe she said ” Family First” we will hire the rest of our friends later.
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LOL!
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“Family First”…. HER family and friends.
Sheesh, I thought everyone knew that
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I’m no expert on politics or politicians but my guess is that if Adrian Dix said little or nothing about this matter that’s because he sees himself in the driver’s seat with no need to go hard on the accelerator. The announcement from Port Moody suggests he’s got his eye on the road.
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That’s likely right.
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Methinks so too. Usually Adrian is rather outspoken about certain Liberal MLAs but he’s been awfully quiet lately.
“Caucus is rising, the NDP are mobilizing…..”
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>>>”to such a seemingly specific, obscure post!”
Speaking of obscure posts, has anyone done an FOI request to find out what Pamela Martin is doing for her $130K per year?
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Yeah, Bob Mackin and I have, and I did a post on it linking to Bob’s exceptional work.
Go to my search bar and input ‘Pamela Martin’. You’ll see exactly what Pam’s been doing: sweet eff all.
And the band played on….
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Not entirely sweet eff all, you forget her monthly limit of sending eight emails a month.
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