DRIVE-THRU SERVICE: Liberal MLA Dennis MacKay, who represents the vast riding of Bulkley Valley-Stikine, told the legislature a story this week that illustrates the vast difference between rural and urban B.C.
He was driving from Atlin, hard by the Yukon border, to Smithers about 18 months ago, when he stopped at a coffee shop on Highway 37 for a break.
"I was having a coffee, and I was talking to the young lady that was waiting on the tables. There was another couple sitting at a table next to me. They overheard me say I was from Smithers. They didn't know who I was, and I'd never met them before. They came up to me and said; 'We heard you were going to Smithers. Would you mind taking our bank deposit and leaving it at the bank for us?'
"So they gave me the bag with their bank deposit in it. I drove for 250 kilometres, turned left at Highway 16 and drove back to Smithers. They drove to Terrace.
"Can you imagine doing that in Vancouver or Victoria?"
MacKay's legislature time expired at that point, and when he saw the red light come on he sat down.
But to finish his story, he dropped the money off at the bank.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: Attorney General Wally Oppal, while explaining the process for releasing public-inquiry reports: "We usually follow the law on this side of the house."
POPHAM VS. ADAIR: NDP leader Carole James is expected to welcome Lana Popham today as the candidate for Saanich South in the May 12 provincial election.
Popham, an organic farmer, takes over from outgoing MLA David Cubberley and will square off against Liberal candidate Robin Adair in what is usually one of the most hotly contested ridings on the Island.
SPIN CYCLE: NDP critic Leonard Krog hit the mother-lode when he won access to 8,000 pages of internal government documents at the trial of three former aides.
The NDP's spin doctors this week were gleefully passing around a document from January 2007 that purportedly shows how their counterparts in government try to influence the media.
The document -- House Review: A Day in the Life -- appears to be a step-by-step manual on how to steer the media away from covering Question Period.
The 10 a.m. "news blitz," for example, is described as "our chance to get to the media while they are still thinking about their lead -- give them something else to write on so they aren't pressured to write on QP."
The document offers several ways to "get to the media" by: 1. Introducing legislation. (Sounds like a great way to make public policy!) 2. Issuing a news release. (How novel!) 3. Commenting on issues already in the news.
By 11 a.m., government workers are in "QP Prep" where they're workshopping answers. Then, at 1 a.m., they get a second chance to "drive the media cycle" when ministers head into caucus and can once again comment on issues "already on media radar."
That's followed by Question Period, where, the document says, minister are judged on "the three Cs" -- competence, confidence and control.
"It's Question Period, not Answer Period," the documents says. "Answer the best you can each time, every time. But if you can't, ATTACK!! -- NDP record, evidence of internal conflict, etc. ..."
Following Question Period, workers are advised to "assess best mitigation techniques, including whether to keep your minister in the house or to bring them out on cue" to speak to the media.
Other helpful tips: "Train your minister to take your cues on leaving the house and ending scrums -- don't have them add to their own issues"
And: "Don't linger -- don't be in the hallway unless you have to."
They might have added: Try not to have this or any other internal documents released to the NDP as part of an ongoing court case. But, hey, you can't foresee everything.
HERBERT FINDS HIS FEET: Although relatively new to the legislature, NDP MLA Spencer Herbert has so far impressed with his catchy verbiage and snappy fashion sense. But the member from Vancouver-Burrard perhaps needs to fine-tune his actual legislative skills.
Herbert called a press conference Wednesday to announce he was, that afternoon, tabling a private member's bill to prevent so-called "price gouging" by companies like Ticketmaster. He had some good quotes. And a dazzling blue suit. But a check at the end of day revealed no such bill had been mentioned in the house. The problem? A "procedural error," says the NDP. Apparently, Herbert forgot to actually stand at the right moment and introduce his work. He found his feet Thursday and introduced his bill -- albeit a day late.
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