Dear Premier Clark,
You knew about “Ethnicgate” from the beginning. You had to.
I was there, Ms. Clark, and know how government works – especially when the civil service is involved in politics. With a program this size – in the hands of your senior adviser; with the complexity involved, meaning the number of people in the know; and given the channels through which this sort of plan (or should I say plot) must pass, even if you had not wanted to know, you still would have been informed.
That’s what Premiers are all about.
If – and I say this couldn’t happen – you didn’t hear or say anything, then your incompetence is beyond belief (actually, come to think of it, there’s plenty of other evidence on that point). If this is the case, then you must resign.
If, on the other hand, you knew what was happening, Premier, then you must also resign.
You make the point that “nothing crossed your desk”. But we know from the Privacy Commissioner that your government puts nothing of importance in writing.
Out of a lengthy cabinet meeting, one minister, John Yap, ran onto his sword as a sacrificial lamb. That’s a little like throwing people off the sled to the howling wolves so they will be content before they reach the driver. It is not going to work.
Even within the pitiful media, which has given the Liberal Government a free pass for 11 years, this matter will not go away.
Kash Heed is right. An examination by your own deputy minister is laughable and I wonder at why he took the task. He should have refused to get into a political matter which also involved his colleagues or offered his resignation. Only an outside person of repute, like Ted Hughes, can approach the matter with the clean hands and clear vision required.
Madam Premier, you should personally do what you would have demanded of an NDP minister in similar circumstances: RESIGN!
Your party is in danger of a wipe out like the one you inflicted on the NDP in 2001. This means that your party could in itself be in danger of collapse, for in heavy rejection by the voters, the cabinet ministers are often the first to go.
Your clear answer is two fold – resign and appoint someone from your caucus who can make the best of the May election and be in a position to rebuild the party. It was the refusal to do this in 1991 that cost the Socreds not just the election but their own party.
Who knows? When your self-inflicted wounds result in a catastrophe, maybe the Socreds will return! Stranger things than that have happened in BC politics!
To close, Premier, I will be dealing with environmental matters that your government has avoided and continues to avoid but I’ll leave on this note:
Either you are lying through your teeth or you have no business in the premier’s chair (I suppose it could be both) and must resign.
Yours truly,
Rafe Mair (BC Cabinet minister 1975-81)
Thursday, 14 March 2013 11:26 posted by walt mcginnis
Rafe, Have you considered evidence to suggest that Dix , Horgan and fellow NDP backroom boys collaborated with Coleman et al backroom boys to dump Clark or to at least ensure she is not electable in her own riding. Consider the timing of the release of the ethnic vote scandal and the timing of the Doyle firing event. There is a lot of evidence showing these events were staged and a joint effort. In which case your reactions are just what they want.
All the Best, Walt McGinnis
http://canadacitizensnewsnetwork.com/beware-the-ides-of-march-christie-clark/
Monday, 11 March 2013 17:07 posted by Debbie McBride
Well said Rafe. I would only point out that what we should recognize that we only need to remove the letter N from “ethnic” to understand what this is really all about.
ETHICS.
The huge lack of ethics in the Liberal party and its governments has finally manifested in a manner no one can, nor should ignore.
It needs to be recognized and understood that this lack of even the most fundamental of ethics did not start with Christie Clark. It has resulted in a culture that has ignored and looked the other way as Liberal after Liberal, fudged, cheated and lied to everyone, all the while those not complicent in the subterfuge looked the other way.
Saturday, 09 March 2013 17:59 posted by Lee
Superb journalism. The rest of BC’s media should be hanging their heads in shame.
Saturday, 09 March 2013 11:00 posted by Jay Cobb
Complete agreement Rafe. When Alex Tsakumis did a piece on SunNews, they later sensored it. Political interference from Victoria? No doubt. We did however save it for posterity:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYoiIna6el4
Saturday, 09 March 2013 08:33 posted by Don Bruce
Dear Rafe,I am in awe and admiration of this, your latest review of the Premier and her actions. D.B.
Saturday, 09 March 2013 06:17 posted by chuckstraight
Complete agreement with Rafe. Further to this, I really could care less what a political party is called along as their main goal isn`t to lie and sell the province off to party supporters. The BC Liberals have lied from day 1(BC Rail, ripping up collctive agreements, and it got worse.
I will be voting NDP, and the clowns known as the BC Liberals have to say Bye Bye.
No more political donations from corporations or unions, and some manner of proportional representation would help.
As if Christy Clark didn`t know- right!
Friday, 08 March 2013 23:19 posted by T Mac
Check – Mate! Well Done Mr Mair. If the Premier doesn’t take the advice given, she and her party will be more than well done after the May election.
Friday, 08 March 2013 21:46 posted by L
“the cabinet ministers are often the first to go”
Yes.
They’re either the biggest fools on the planet, or they’re all willingly backing the most corrupt government we’ve ever had in BC. Either way, British Columbians know everything we need to know about this disgraceful pack going into the May election.
I’m sure I’m not the only one in Kamloops who snickers every time I see Mr. Lake’s and Mr. Stone’s mud-splattered faces on the ads on the buses.
Friday, 08 March 2013 20:34 posted by James King
I could hardly agree more Rafe. In fact, Ms Clark’s previous associations with her brother, former husband, Brian Kieran, Erik Bornmann, Dave Basi and Bob Virk – not to mention David Anderson and the crew behind the Paul Martin leadership campaign makes be highly suspicious that she not only KNEW about the project but was up to her eyeballs in the process of putting it into play.
Friday, 08 March 2013 20:13 posted by m. commodore
She would have to be a very dumb Premier not to know what was happening in her own office
Friday, 08 March 2013 19:02 posted by DeWayne
enter your message here…
Rafe good article. If Crispy Clark really didn’t know about “Ethnicgate”. That
proves she can’t do her job right. She should resign just for that!
Thanks De’Wayne
Ps. I miss you radio show.
Friday, 08 March 2013 19:02 posted by Reinier Kanis
When I turned 19 years of age, I read the constitution of the Social Credit Party, if they would have adhered to their won constitution; they would most likely be in power today. That was 40 years ago I would consider joining a party with that constitution, even today.