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UPDATED: More damning documents finger BC Government
BURNABY/CKNW(AM980)
Shane Woodford | Email news tips to shane.woodford@corusent.com
11/9/2012

The NDP have more leaked emails from a committee examining the future of the aging Burnaby hospital that seem to show the group's members are not focused on health care but are instead playing politics. 

 Health critic Mike Farnworth says the title of the email, from a committee stacked with BC Liberal MLA's, party members, and insiders, says it all. 

 'The issue we can win Burnaby-Deer Lake on, Re-win Burnaby North, and Lougheed. - Will also help in Fairview and Fraser view'

 Farnworth says the shine is now off the so called citizens committee who are supposed to looking at improvements to the hospital.

 

He reads from the email "This is the really telling part. This would keep the issue ours without committing dollars and buy us time to do some polling and confirm that this is a winning issue."

 The leaked email has three themes. 

 One, it is the hospital Premier Christy Clark grew up in. This is mentioned several times including in large bold font underlined for emphasis. 

 Two, Burnaby hospital can be used as an issue to win Burnaby North and several adjacent or nearby ridings. 

 Three, how to stay ahead of the NDP and keep the hospital as an issue out of the hands of Burnaby mayor Derek Corrigan and his wife NDP MLA Kathy Corrigan. 

 Farnworth says it is dirty pool.

 "And the whole series of this email outlines what the situation is, what their challenge is in terms of a timeline, and how they are going to put it together, and how they are even going to put two potential Liberal candidates for that riding in the next election on the committee to give them exposure it really is unbelievably cynical."

 Farnworth says it shows decisions are not being made with health care and the needs of the people as a top priority but instead are being done by putting political interests first. 

 Farnworth reads more from the email "PCC, which is Premier Christy Clark, Richard Lee, Harry Bloy,  to tour the Burnaby hospital ASAP and do press conference after to announce that PCC will rebuild Burnaby hospital or look into what the community wants."

 For her part BC's Health Minister seems to be saying never mind the emails, focus on the process, when she was asked about the latest leaked email from the committee studying Burnaby hospital.

 MacDiarmid admits there are BC Liberal supporters on the committee. 

 "But they are also really strong supporters of the Burnaby hospital I think it cuts across politcal party's these people happen to be BC Liberals."

 When the line "This would keep the issue ours without committing dollars and buy us time to do some polling and confirm that this is a winning issue." was read to her MacDiarmid admitted "You know that it is tough for me to hear that because it is not at all the way that I think."

 But MacDiarmid says it still doesn't taint the process. 

 "No question about it, it was very partisan but if you look at the actual process the people that got together in this citizens sort of engagement it was the people it was the community of Burnaby. It was open to everyone. I haven't seen the report that will come from this process I expect to get it fairly soon. I have said before I absolutely will make it public."

 MacDiarmid says she is also unwilling to throw the report out or discount it outright. 

 "I want to read that report. Once it is out and it is public I mean people can decide for themselves but I certainly would never want to dismiss that report when I literally I haven't read one word of it yet."

 She says politics should not be top priority in making decisions. 

 "If your listeners would say hospitals, and schools, and other capital investments should not be decided based on politics, I 100% agree with that."

 The email was written by three committee members all with ties to the BC Liberals. 

 Mark Robertson is the party's director of field operations. 

 Pamela Gardner is a former riding president for the Liberals. 

 While Brian Bonney is a current communications director within government and has in the past worked for the Liberals. 


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  • 10
  1. HUGH F posted on 11/09/2012 05:18 AM
    The wretched stench of despair from Victoria is getting overwhelming. What a bunch of buffoons. Hurry up May!
  2. ChrisM_18 posted on 11/09/2012 06:17 AM
    Christmas has come early for the NDP !

    This kind of behaviour is destroying democracy in BC as most of us just look at local politicians and their supporters with contempt and disgust. They are only interested in furthering their own interests. What happens to Joe Average is very much secondary to them
  3. CosmicS posted on 11/09/2012 07:04 AM
    Nobody has to bad mouth the Liberals....they are doing an excellent job themselves!
  4. EricM_2360 posted on 11/09/2012 07:17 AM
    Apart from all the damning evidence the Liberals are seeking to play the mess at Burnaby Hospital into some sort of potential upside for the pending provincial election, one has to stop and recognize that pretty much anything associated with the names Harry Bloy and his pal Brian Bonney is going to be tainted by self-serving aggrandizement and tainted with misguided partisanship and dedication to a political party that is long-past its prime.

    The efforts of the committee are so skewed toward political gain, the intention of fixing the problems at the hospital have been relegated to the bottom of the heap. Outrageous, but not unexpected with this crew, who will almost certainly be out of work when their friends in Victoria get bounced in May 2013, no more plum appointments to directorships in minor ministries, no more healthy pay packets just because you know someone.
  5. joes_2868 posted on 11/09/2012 09:09 AM
    HUGH F: Don't you understand English? Once again, at around 8:45 pm on May 14, 2013 we will have the results of the provincial election. If the NDP wins, then taxpayers can get ready to go down to the EI office to make a claim for employment insurance. Business does not believe in NDP governments, so in return they hand out lay off slips. Most NDP supporters would admit, a little holiday would be nice, but remember your NDP MLA's still receive their normal pay cheques.
    1. HUGH F posted on 11/09/2012 12:54 PM
      @joes_2868 And that little ditty has jack squat in relation to the stench of the liberals. And why you draw the inane conclusion I support the NDP escapes me. I don't support what I see as a corrupt government that seems to subscribe to a scandal a day program. Simply put, they reek like a 3 month old meatloaf. I also own a business that does well no matter who is robbing the Capitol.
    2. brianp1950 posted on 11/09/2012 01:10 PM
      @joes_2868 Man, you need to take off your blinders, really that is the best you can up with is a scare tactic? your attemp to cover up the mess your party is causing BC Taxpayers by trying to worry people is as sickening as the attempts your party is making to try and hold onto power. There is nothing more humbling than get your ass kicked and these guys deserve it. They are spending so much time trying to defend themselves they have no time to take care of the Province. Time to move aside.
  6. Ron_26 posted on 11/09/2012 09:16 AM
    If I, a CKNW listener, write an email to CKNW saying they should continue to bash Enbridge because they are 1. the voice of the public, 2. the press is always right, and 3. Enbridge is irresponsible and should be silenced, would CKNW be branded as severely biased and anti-pipeline?
    Talk about playing politics. The NDP should stick to what the Liberals or Conservatives say, not what a 3 supporters allegedly say.
  7. BCBrasky posted on 11/09/2012 01:59 PM
    Let’s put this into context. The Corrigan’s are an NDP power couple. When Corrigan played NDP politics with the oval..it became the Richmond oval…and is now an awesome community asset to the benefit of Richmond. When both Corrigan’s played politics with the Provincial remand center, it and the hundreds of well paying union jobs including the tens of thousands in annual tax revenues went to the benefit of another community. Ignoring the NDP political influence of the Corrigan’s in Burnaby on a major public project like a Hospital would be unwise given the influence they have played in previous community projects in Burnaby.



    And let’s not forget when Global news did a feature on the Bellingham airport last winter who did they find supporting the Bellingham airport on way to an exotic vacation?? It was none other than the Corrigan’s. Funny how whenever it comes to tax dollars they support high public sector union wages but when it comes to their own dollars (paid for by taxpayers I might add) they take the cheapest way possible. I personally think it would be dangerous to ignore the NDP political influence of this couple.
  8. joes_2868 posted on 11/10/2012 01:16 PM
    brianp: The readers local consultant. Brian has a brief case and is 50 miles away from home. BRIAN, YOU ARE AVOIDING US READERS AND HOLDING BACK BIG TIME. YOU MUST TELL US READERS, WHY VOTE IN A NDP GOVERNMENT THAT WILL BE VOTED OUT IN MAY, 2017. ALSO BRIAN, WHY WOULD YOU NOT TAKE BACK A FORMER SPOUSE FROM A PREVIOUS DIVORCE TO RE-CREATE THE NIGHTMARE. God man, make sure that you don't give advice to your Children and Grandchildren. Like Bruce Allen said, when the NDP was destroying B.C. when they were government, he could not find person that said they voted NDP. If the Liberals have to be removed from office, then the NDP is not the answer. Brian, now do something about in giving us voters a 3rd choice. Enough bullshit!
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