NDP Says Criminal Breach Of Trust Charges Against Former BC Liberal Show Premier Christy Clark’s Priority Is Christy Clark, Not B.C. Families

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Will Charges Against Brian Bonney In The “Ethnic Vote Buying” Scandal Hurt Premier Christy Clark And BC Liberal Party’s Re-Election Chances Next May?

“Since she became the premier of this province, Christy Clark’s top priority has been Christy Clark. While people across this province have been struggling to afford a place to live, while schools across this province face closure, while seniors and kids in government care are being ignored by this government, Premier Christy Clark and her staff have been devoting their time and energy to figuring out how to keep her out of trouble,” says New Democrat leader John Horgan.

By R. Paul Dhillon

VICTORIA— Criminal breach of trust charges laid against a top Christy Clark operative show that Premier Christy Clark and her staff have spent the past three years covering their tracks on the so-called Quick Wins Scandal, says New Democrat leader John Horgan.

A Special Prosecutor laid a criminal charge of breach of trust against one of Premier Clark’s top advisors, Brian Bonney, for actions he allegedly took to promote and protect this premier’s political career, Horgan said.

Bonney, a former communications director in the British Columbia government, was charged with breach of trust in connection with a strategy by the Liberals to win ethnic votes in the 2013 election.

A special prosecutor approved the charge against Bonney in connection with the duties of his office Tuesday morning. Bonney was also charged, along with former Liberal Party staffer Mark Robertson, in 2014 with expense violations under the Elections Act.

“The criminal breach of trust charges show that it takes a police investigation to learn the truth about what Christy Clark’s people will do to win and hold power,” said Horgan.

“Since she became the premier of this province, Christy Clark’s top priority has been Christy Clark. While people across this province have been struggling to afford a place to live, while schools across this province face closure, while seniors and kids in government care are being ignored by this government, Premier Christy Clark and her staff have been devoting their time and energy to figuring out how to keep her out of trouble.”

A draft ethnic voter plan, leaked in the legislature by the NDP, was developed with the objective of improving the B.C. Liberals’ appeal to ethnic communities through a series of what were described as “quick wins,” including apologizing for historical wrongs affecting certain groups and building a stable of supporters to call in to radio talk shows.

Premier Clark apologized several times for the ethnic outreach scandal and accepted the resignation of her deputy chief of staff, Kim Haakstad. An inquiry into the scandal by Clark’s deputy minister John Dyble, found an elaborate and wide-reaching scheme with its roots in the Premier’s office.

“For years we’ve seen senior people in the B.C. Liberal government lying, deleting evidence and covering their tracks for the boss, Christy Clark. But their attempts to hide the truth and win at any cost are backfiring with both the police and the public,” said Horgan.

“This is a premier who promises to put families first, but puts herself and her political future first every time. B.C. New Democrats are going to keep asking hard questions about this scandal, because we know that the people of B.C. deserve much better than this government.”

Special prosecutor David Butcher was appointed in 2013 following an affair that has been dubbed the “quick wins” scandal in local media.