Introduction:
The BC NDP released to the media the following emails they say signifies that BC Government caucus workers were working to promote BC Liberal Party fortunes in last year's Port Moody-Coquitlam byelection.
Current NDP candidate, Joe Trasolini, said the work of the Port Moody "Swing Riding" Team is a misuse of taxpayers' dollars.
But a spokesman for the BC Liberal Party, Sam Oliphant, says the work was part of the normal political duties of caucus staffers who are not required to be a-political like other employees of the government bureaucracy, such as ministry employees.
Oliphant says the release of the e-mails now show the BC NDP wants to distract from other important election issues, such as the economy, and he told The News that government caucus workers for both sides do political work in their support of MLAs in the legislature.
The email addresses have been taken out for privacy reasons.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: dimitrip
Date: Tue, Sep 6, 2011 at 7:02 PM
Subject: Port Moody Team...
Hey everyone,
I am writing this email to request that you be part of the Port Moody "Swing Riding" Team.
We have asked David Ritchie to lead the team (he is included in this email). Expect to hear from him sometime tomorrow with further guidance for the team activity.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.
Thanks,
dp
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: David Ritchie
Date: Wed, Sep 7, 2011 at 10:21 AM
Subject: Port Moody Swing Riding Group
Hello all,
Per Dimitri's email yesterday, welcome to the Port Moddy Swing Riding Group. In terms of our first meeting, I would propose 2pm tomorrow (Thursday, Sept 7). My office is as good a place as any to meet, Room 247 in the Main Legislature.
Please let me know asapif that time does not work for you. Otherwise, see you all tomorrow.
Dave
From: Christie Pruden
Sent: September-27-11 12:01 PM
To: David Ritchie
Cc: Heather Doi; Melland, Jeff; Joan Dick; Matt Stickney; Trevor Halford; Kim Haakstad
Subject: Re: Port Moody Swing Riding Group
Good morning:
As we didn't meet last week I thought everyone might want to hear about issue surrounding Heritage Middle School Here is an update on what's happening with the Heritage Middle school daycare situation. Looks like the issue is that this place simply isn't built yet - but a lot of progress has been made. Let me know if you need anything else. Thanks.
Village of Anmore - Major Capital Funding
Update as of September 21, 2011:
? Village council and School District #43 (Coquitlam) have completed discussions regarding the proposed child care facility.
? They have decided that the School District will create new child care spaces within the new proposed middle school (Heritage Middle School), Neighbourhood of Learning.
? Ministry staff have requested the School District provide a detailed project budget, number and type of child care spaces to be created and proposed construction schedule.
? Once the required information is received - the ministry will review for approval and coordinate the transfer of the capital funding and funding agreement.
*We did ask Ministry staff if there was any "issue" here, and they indicated that while this is certainly a good news update, there have been issues in the past regarding the fact that the child care centre is not being built yet (the delays). The Ministry is working with the School District to get this situation resolved.
Background History:
? The Ministry provided the Village of Anmore (community north of Port Moody) with Major Capital Funding in 2007/ 2008.
? The funding was $499,500 to create 45 licensed child care spaces.
? The Ministry has a clear agreement that money for major capital funding projects cannot be used for another purpose. We are very clear about how child care major capital funding is used.
? The major capital funds remain in place for the Village of Anmore to build a new child care facility.
? There were a number of delays in getting this child care facility built, including a legal matter between one of the bidders on the RFP and the Village.
? The Ministry did not get involved in any of the legal matters, as those were an issue between the bidder in question and the Village.
On Tue, Sep 13, 2011 at 4:12 PM, David Ritchie wrote:
Hi All,
Following up on our meeting from last week, let's meet again this Thursday, September 15 at 2:30pm in the same place (Rm 247 in the Legislature).
If this doesn't work for anyone, please let me know asap. Otherwise, see you on Thursday.
Dave
On Wed, Sep 7, 2011 at 9:21 AM, David Ritchie wrote:
Hello all,
Per Dimitri's email yesterday, welcome to the Port Moddy Swing Riding Group. In terms of our first meeting, I would propose 2pm tomorrow (Thursday, Sept 7). My office is as good a place as any to meet, Room 247 in the Main Legislature.
Please let me know asapif that time does not work for you. Otherwise, see you all tomorrow.
Dave
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Christie Pruden
Date: Fri, Sep 9, 2011 at 12:18 PM
Subject: Fwd: PMC Executive List
Good morning all:
Please find the Port Moody Executive list attached. Let me know if you anything else.
Christie
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Mark Robertson
Date: Fri, Sep 9, 2011 at 11:07 AM
Subject: PMC Executive List
To: christie.pruden
Christie
Please find attached the information you requested.
Thanks
Mark W. Robertson
Director of Field Operations, BC Liberal Party
www.bcliberals.com
From: David Ritchie
Sent: October-11-11 10:36 AM
To: Heather Doi; Melland, Jeff; Joan Dick; Matt Stickney; Trevor Halford; Kim Haakstad; Christie Pruden
Subject: PMC Meeting
Hi All,
Since we haven't had a meeting in a couple weeks due to the first week of the House plus UBCM, can I propose 2pm this Thursday in 247?
If this doesn't work, please let me know. Otherwise, see you then.
Thanks,
Dave
From: David Ritchie
Sent: October-12-11 8:48 AM
Subject: Re: PMC Meeting
Sorry everyone, but some folks have let me know that 2pm isn't any good. Can I propose 1130AM instead?
Dave
On Tue, Oct 11, 2011 at 10:36 AM, David Ritchie wrote:
Hi All,
Since we haven't had a meeting in a couple weeks due to the first week of the House plus UBCM, can I propose 2pm this Thursday in 247?
If this doesn't work, please let me know. Otherwise, see you then.
Thanks,
Dave
From: JOAN DICK
Sent: October-13-11 8:31 PM
To: David Ritchie
Cc: Heather Doi; Melland, Jeff; Matt Stickney; Trevor Halford; Kim Haakstad; Christie Pruden
Subject: Re: PMC Meeting
D:
Works for me.
J.
From: David Ritchie
Sent: October-21-11 3:07 PM
Subject: Updated Event Listing
Hi,
Would it be possible to get an updated event listing re: PMC? Ideally, with as far of an outlook as possible, and any priority or recommended events that Iain's constit folks would have.
Thanks,
Dave
From: David Ritchie
Sent: October-26-11 8:44 AM
Subject: Re: Updated Event Listing
That's solid, but a couple points:
1) We can start removing events that have passed.
2) There is now a push from the party/PO to start pushing more Caucus to events in the riding. I can handle this from a Speaker's Bureau perspective, but I will need a longer term view, particularly in the post-municipal election window.
Have the CAs fed into this list recently?
Dave
On Fri, Oct 21, 2011 at 4:19 PM, Heather Doi wrote:
Hi,
Here are all the updated events I have. There really isn't a lot, but I've flagged a couple things that look interesting.
Heather
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Christie Pruden
Date: Thu, Oct 13, 2011 at 10:36 AM
Subject: October 18th Event
To: (email addresses removed)
I have been asked to pass on the below to all Caucus staff personal email accounts
Good morning:
Please keep your evening clear Tuesday, October 18th.
More details to come but BC Liberal Party staff will be here and holding a session for all political and caucus staff. It will be an update on party activites as well as a chance to meet members of the BCLP staff team that you may not know already.
Dinner will be provided.
Please let me knowif you have any questions, thanks.
Christie
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Christie Pruden
Date: Mon, Oct 17, 2011 at 9:17 AM
Subject: Fwd: Session with Party Staff - Tomorrow
To:
Please see the information for tomorrow night's training session with party staff. Please let me know if you have any questions. Thanks.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Kim Haakstad
Date: Mon, Oct 17, 2011 at 7:41 AM
Subject: Session with Party Staff - Tomorrow
To:
Hello all,
Here are the final details for tomorrow night:
6:30pm-8:30pm: Training session with staff (Union Club - food to be available from the start of the session)
8:30pm-Onwards: Social (Bon Rouge Bistro, 611 Courtney St, across the street from the Union Club - light food and no-host bar)
I know some of you will not be able to get out of the building until right at 6:30pm but please try to get there as close to 6:30pm as possible, Mike McDonald will lead off the session.
See you all there!
Kim
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Christie Pruden
Date: Wed, Oct 19, 2011 at 10:22 AM
Subject: Fwd: Minister and MLA Speaker's Bureau
To:
Good morning guys:
I just realized last night when the topic of the Speaker's Bureau came up that some of you might not have received the below email. Sorry for the delay. let me know if you have any questions. Thanks.
Christie
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Kim Haakstad
Date: Thu, Oct 13, 2011 at 11:13 AM
Subject: Minister and MLA Speaker's Bureau
To:
Hello everyone,
To update you all on a practice we are starting up again, we are restarting a Speakers Bureau for our Ministers, Parliamentary Secretaries and MLAs.
The purpose of restarting this is to engage riding associations to hold high quality events in ridings across the province where our Ministers, Parliamentary Secretaries and MLA can speak to and energize our local volunteers.
To accomplish this, we hope to put in place the following process:
1) Riding Associations feed in requests for Ministers/Parliamentary Secretaries/MLAs to attend particular events to their BCL Regional Organizers.
2) Regional organizers will feed these requests into Lorne Mayencourt and Dave Ritchie (copied above). Lorne and Dave will take the lead on finding Ministers/Parliamentary Secretaries/MLAs to attend these events. They will liaise with staff to find members to attend these events.
3) Once a Minister/ParlSec/MLA has been located, Dave and Lorne will pass off the staff contact directly to the riding association, so that the staff and the local organizers can coordinate directly.
We have high hopes that this process will be effective in better connecting our riding associations with MLAs from across the province. Additionally, we hope this will effective in making sure every single one of our riding associations is active and growing stronger as we get closer to May 2013.
Thanks you for your cooperation,
Kim
