Letters to the Editor

Tom Fletcher (of Black Press) is wrong to say the Liberals and the NDP are equally guilty of mishandling funds (‘Both parties have betrayed us,’ March 19).

In fact the NDP caucus got the green light from the Legislative Comptroller before it began pooling money from constituency funds. Later, when the Auditor General disagreed with that decision, the NDP discontinued the practice. Obviously, two government officials had two different opinions on this matter.

In the case of the Liberals, no prior approval was sought, and their own investigation “confirmed allegations that public officials committed serious breaches of their duties, mixed party and government business, misused government funds and used private emails to try to cover their tracks.” (Craig McInness, Vancouver Sun, March 17, 2013).  Cassidy Olivier, in The Province (March 16, 2013), described the Liberals’ actions as “a clear violation of the standards of conduct as outlined in the B.C. Public Service Act.”  As a result the party wrote a cheque for $70,000 to cover the estimated cost of the improper use of taxpayer funds.  Guilty as charged.

As Vaughn Palmer said on CBC radio (Almanac, March 15), “There is no comparison” between the actions of the two parties.

Jean Samis,

Cranbrook

Article Share