April 30, 2005
VANCOUVER – It is now clear that the NDP has violated the Election Act in several instances by distributing BCGEU campaign signs through several NDP candidates’ offices. Elections BC has ordered the NDP to remove these signs and cease this activity. It also ruled yesterday that the value of BCGEU signs distributed constitutes an election expense and a political contribution that must be declared by the NDP.
“Carole James needs to explain why her party broke the Election Act,” said Mike de Jong, BC Liberal candidate for Abbotsford-Mt. Lehman. “How widespread has this illegal activity been? How many other NDP campaigns have been breaking the law by colluding with the BCGEU? And what is the value of this illegal activity to the NDP?
“This puts the lie to the NDP and BCGEU’s claim that they are independent of one another, when clearly they have been colluding in violation of election rules. With this revelation, how can anyone honestly believe that the BCGEU’s half-hour televised diatribe against the BC Liberals was anything but an NDP election ad?”
Elections BC responded yesterday to the BC Liberals official complaint that the NDP was in violation of the Election Act after reports were received from ridings across the province that NDP candidates were handing out “I’ve Had Enough” BCGEU lawn signs from campaign offices. Media reports indicate that the BCGEU has distributed 30,000 “I’ve Had Enough” lawn signs and 20,000 cardboard signs, and that the B.C. Federation of Labour has produced over 10,000 of these signs. (Source: Vancouver Sun, 16 Apr 2005)
“Carole James is quick to point the finger at others for partisan political advantage, but her first instinct on issues like the Rollie Keith fiasco and the resignation of her candidate in Alberni-Qualicum is to deny responsibility and let others do her job. She also sees nothing wrong with her Nanaimo-Parksville candidate using schools for political fundraising,” said de Jong. “Will she stand up now and say this breach of the rules is wrong and it’s going to stop? Will she tell us today how many other candidates were violating the Act and what the total value of the BCGEU and possibly other union signs has been?”
“BCGEU president George Heyman also has some answering to do,” added de Jong. “He must explain how all these signs got delivered to NDP campaign offices and what his union’s role has been in collaborating with the NDP, in clear violation of the BCGEU’s own constitution.”
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TEXT OF APRIL 29, 2005 LETTER FROM ELECTIONS BC
April 29, 2005
BY FAX: 604-632-0253
Kelly Reichert
Executive Director
BC Liberals
PO Box 28185, Harbour Centre
555 West Hastings Street
Vancouver, BC V6B 5L8
Dear Kelly Reichert:
The Chief Electoral Officer has asked me to respond to your letter of today’s date regarding the B.C. Government and Service Employees’ Union (BCGEU) and some campaigns of the B.C. New Democratic Party (NDP).
We have contacted the B.C. New Democratic Party, and each of the campaigns you named, and directed them to immediately remove any BCGEU sponsored election advertising from their offices and to cease distributing such advertising.
We have also advised them that the value of the BCGEU signs already distributed by the campaigns during the campaign period must be included as an election expense of each relevant candidate and as a political contribution from the BCGEU.
The BCGEU has been similarly notified.
However, as we do not have any evidence of collaboration between the NDP and the BCGEU regarding the BCGEU sponsored telecast, have not directed the NDP to include the value of that production as a political contribution and an election expense.
If you require additional information, please contact me at 250-387-4141 or toll free at 1-800-661-8683.
Yours truly,
M. Nola Western, CA
Director, Electoral Finance
