The Hook

Honesty in Election Time

This is similar to an incident in the John Les campaign;he used the logo and material of the University of the Fraser Valley without permission, to construct an advertisement, indicating that he had their endorsement. As the two local papers suppressed the official denial of this permission, Les' lack of scruples triumphed.ElectionsBC informed me that the dishonest action of Les is not against the Election Act; UFV could proceed against him legally but it appears it does not wish to do so.So by dishonest means and the bias of the local press, Chilliwack is saddled with this unscruplous man again; those of us who do not condone such standards of morality are looking forward to the investigation into numerous of his land deals during his holding of office as mayor of Chilliwack.

Why would anyone be surprised?

Why would anyone be surprised that BC Liberals (and the Premier - who, in a statement to CBC Radio, tried to pull Bennett's chestnuts out of the fire) would lie about this and try, in their usual transference tactic, to shift the blame onto their opponents, the NDP.

Carole James gave specific directions that this was not to be a sleazy campaign which used personal innuendo against the sleaze of the BC Liberal record...clearly Campbell had no such moral qualms.

Teflon Bill!

http://politicsrespun.org/2009/05/bill-bennett-king-of-plausible-deniability/

When I wrote about Bill Bennett either being stupid or a lying racist [both of which should disqualify him from public service], I felt he was closer to the racist end of things.

This pushes that estimation even further!

Bennett's bilge

Global TV reporter questioning the veracity of the Bennett campaign? What??? Am I seeing things??

Oh yeah, the election is over now, so it's safe to come out ... Argh...

I'm just one of many who wrote letters to the editor critical of Mr. Bennett's "racist" tendencies when the scandal blew in. Our local paper, lovingly referred to as The Daily Clownsman, published , um , let's see now, uh ... not one of them. When I contacted the paper to find out how many they'd received (thinking myself a lone voice perhaps) the reply was several, but due to space constraints and libel issues they had not published any of them.
They did have room for several pro-Bennett letters throughout the week...

It seems Rafe's not the only one with a lack of media exposure!

Parliament Basement at Work

I don't see why Bencze is so worried. About 50% of the population knows this is just our tax dollars being spent to spin things in Campbells favour. And the only way to get rid of the problem now is to challenge the use of our money in court. Unfortunately the bastards in Victoria have eroded my pensions to the point where I have to give up something just to be able to afford an extra trip to town. Anyone else want to take up the cause?

I was also disappointed that

I was also disappointed that many news outlets put the words in the mouth of the NDP/Troy Sebastian - saying NDP says ad is racist. Troy never once said it was. He indicated that it raised questions... and the media was like "NDP SAYS BENNETT IS RACIST!"

I think even the Tyee did that. By doing so they delegitimized Troy's honest concern about the tactic and turned Bill into the victim.

Moonbug

I've reviewed the Tyee's reporting on this issue and I don't see anywhere where we've quoted or paraphrased Troy Sebastian saying the campaign was racist. If I'm missing something, please point it out.

I suspect it was this 'quote' of Bennett's Andrew

The Global television report also quoted Bennett telling a news conference,

Seems to me the implication of this over the top reaction to something Bennett himself 'did' is the source of the notion that the NDP was behind it.

It appeared in your first report on the 'Hook'...

Without some carefully rendered context and after a quick reading I think Moonbug has a point.
You simply repeated the man's slur and, in a way, helped him 'transfer' a substantive and critical point onto Bennett's opposition. In fact, in his interview with CBC radio a few days later, the Premier did exactly the same thing - with impunity.

Politically, British

Politically, British Columbia, respectively is pretty Howdy Doody.

This election proved that the folks who get elected most--despite major setbacks in voter participation--complete failure relating to reforms electoral and certainly to any thoughtful citizen,we know voter turnout has cast doubt on Gordon Campbell's real mandate--at the end of the day--the leader has to be responsible --- to some extent--for the fact that while he is winning, the province is losing-in the democratic context.

I mean the BC Liberals get all their dough from corporations--while the New Democrats weaned themselves off unions-to a large extent--this latter effort no mein feat. I mean--it's sweeping I admit, but the argument could be made that this last election was bought--if the elements of the thesis are--very low voter turnout--and the tilt in corporate dollar/BC Liberal--union dollar/BC NDP.

That's disturbing.

I would suggest that (contrary to what my friend Jim Van Rassel has suggested in one of these streams), Elections BC get approved for $40,000,000 per year, a massive increase--however, I would ban any outside financing from any special interest and allocate $10,000,000 to each registered party that (1) had a registered and bona fide candidate in every riding constituency--and at least a history of one election wherein they achieved < 1% of the popular vote.

So--the BC Liberals would receive in my way of doing things--$4.6 million odd per year, the BC NDP--$4.2 million per year and so on--however--this of course conflicts with many--of tne New BC Conservatives who would -- like another election in a month. Too late to the party brother--there's work to be done.

Ultimately--perhaps other parties could apply for funding based on some criteria of grassroots support. Make the reward for excellent evidence--sufficient for funding--criteria to follow.

But at the end of the day--we require political parties--institutions to move forward with some sense of continuity but you do not want the political environment tainted from the fumes of apathy and neglect, the snake and mongoose of the debate---you also need a good well orchestrated community agitation--in a civil manner of course--but more agigation--because new blood will in and of itself agitates. Anyhow.

Pathetic after the election fact!

Obviously racists and rednecks outnumber tolerant voters in Kootenay East!

But Marion Wright lost her election bid so she won't have to face Bennett in Caucus with the Premier holding his chestnuts!

Here is perhaps the most

Here is perhaps the most disturbing part of this as the other writers have served with great analysis--that on one hand the BC Liberals throw out the R and R ACT that BC Conservatives were screaming over---and at the same time crawl into Wilf Hannis's trousers and keep one half of BC Conservatives for himself.

It was a gutsy move by Bennett--I support if you believe he wasn't winning--by why would you put the ad out if you were winning--naw--it was a racist manuuuvre--
but acceptable to the folks in Mr. Bennett's riding--so ultimately what do the people in East Kootenay think about the BC Liberals R and R in light of this?

Those are 2 very different messages in different regions of the province--.

How would something like this play in the suburbs if it found its way around.

Bennett played the fear card--the most potentially racist card in the political deck. Or maybe in a way perhaps the folks who live in East Kootenay just see the world that way. So many regions cut up and divided over land claims.

If anything--we better get on with this R and R discussion sooner than later--it requires immediate and sustained attention.

Nevertheless, the language of this thing is difficult--the subject matter is significant and sensitive--but we need to deal with it--openly and honestly with a desire that as many British Columbians as possible understand what we are talking about--teach it in class rooms--but fairly--allow all perspectives to younger mature audiences--nearly voting age and such.

But, we need to get on with this business of getting business done--and where it works for BC--really works for the province--and is sensible, reasonable--and always looks to the sensibilities of sustained economies-in dealing with finite resources and human well being.

So this is a broad conversation and let's go after it in a non-partisan kind of political way--so that 2013 deals with it once and for all.

I'm sorry Andrew

I'm not trying to be too critical

But as G West was correct to point out I wasn't happy with this comment:

"This is the worst personal attack on me that I've ever experienced and it's one of the dirtiest things I've ever seen in politics in my life."

being spread around - without any context or critical thought to it.

I was wrong about their being any direct reference in the Tyee to the NDP casting accusations at Bennett.

I read too many stories like this one, I guess:

http://www.bclocalnews.com/kootenay_rockies/kootenayadvertiser/news/44917267.html

Where Bennett again accuses the NDP of attacking him. Also the TV news coverage was terrible.

Yours was, upon review, pretty gosh darn decent.