The B.C. Liberals were proud of themselves for putting the ethnic-outreach scandal to bed just before the election.
They issued profuse apologies for the attempt to meld partisan ethnic vote-grubbing with proper government outreach efforts. Senior deputies did an exhaustive report that found poor behaviour throughout, and jobs were lost as a result.
B.C. Liberals threw themselves on the mercy of the voters two months later and were absolved of the sins of the staffers.
But this week, the scandal kicked off the covers and jumped out of bed for another run around the legislature. It re-awakened on the strength of an email that was part of thousands of pages of documents released at the conclusion of deputy minister John Dyble’s investigation.
Reading through a haze of white-out, it looks like the redacted note shows a government staffer was getting nervous about the nature of the outreach program, which was so crass it called a potential formal apology for historical wrongs a “quick win.”
So instructions were sent to “have Harry Bloy (former cabinet minister) meet with her and explain how doing anything would damage the premier and the party.
“Have him say how he will try to find her work and get her back involved.
“If need be, off X dollars per month to do non public work up to election.”
The NDP interpreted the partial note to mean hush money was being offered to induce someone to keep her mouth shut about damaging information.
Liberal cabinet ministers stonewalled the attack on Monday, offering nothing in the way of an explanation.
But Tuesday, Premier Christy Clark was prompted to make another effort to put the affair back to bed.
She said Dyble was aware of the email but found no evidence it was ever acted upon.
Clark said if anything had developed from the email, it would have been reflected in the report. That wasn’t enough to stop an interrogation during a heated question period about whether the deputies actually talked to the woman, and what the damaging information might be.
It fell to deputy premier Andrew Wilkinson to defend the government, which he did by holding the line and throwing it back in the NDP’s faces, wherever possible.
Sources later said Dyble did consider the email, but found no evidence that action was taken.
It was a leak that started the whole affair. Whether it is concluded depends to some extent on whether there are any more leaks.
Just So You Know: Last week’s decision by Energy Minister Bill Bennett to consider allowing anti-smart meter people to opt out of using the units didn’t include the price they’d pay.
Bennett last week changed the government’s policy so that opting out will be allowed, on the understanding that electricity customers offended by the smart meters will pay in order to avoid using them.
The amount hasn’t been determined, but there’s a clue in documents on file with the B.C. Utilities Commission.
An Interior energy utility — Fortis B.C. — has applied for permission to change over its customer base to the same smart meters that B.C. Hydro has installed.
(Hydro was exempted from needing BCUC permission by former premier Gordon Campbell.)
The application has been in the works for a year and a decision is expected soon. It is also expected that Fortis will get their smart meters approved, on condition that an opt-out provision be included for their customers.
The company resisted the idea. But if they are ordered to allow it, Fortis included a price range.
It suggested a one-time fee of $110 to recover the incremental costs of continuing to read some meters manually, and a “bi-monthly manual download fee” of $22.
There is some speculation that Fortis may also have played a role in Bennett’s decision to tell Hydro to allow opting out.
With both utilities planning to use smart meters, a provincewide policy on opting out was considered necessary.
Particularly because, after operating it for years, the company took over full ownership of the City of Kelowna’s power utility this spring. That includes part of Clark’s riding.
It could conceivably have meant two different standards for Clark’s constituents. Fortis customers could have had the option, but Hydro customers would not.
Bennett’s move now makes that scenario unlikely.
