FORSETH – What caught my attention before the web page disappeared

LET’S TAKE A LOOK back in our handy-dandy time machine:

An April 5, 2017 Vancouver Sun article was headlined, “BC Liberals, NDP spar over cash-for-access fundraising.”

The story began: “The BC Liberal party is attempting a political counter punch at the NDP on the issue of cash-for-access events after learning NDP leader John Horgan is expected to attend a $1,000-per-ticket reception scheduled for April 18.

“On Wednesday, the Liberals released a leaked email from an NDP fundraiser inviting people to a reception at Hawksworth Restaurant in the Rosewood Hotel Georgia hosted by Gary Jackson, president of cannabis-packaging company CannaPack Solutions, with early-bird tickets selling for $500 if attendees buy before April 10.

“In the email, the event is billed as ‘an unparalleled opportunity to discuss the issues relating to what the future holds for the production, sale and distribution of marijuana in British Columbia.’

“‘The event demonstrates “a level of hypocrisy,’ said BC Liberal spokesman Emile Scheffel …”

Why do I bring this up you ask? Surely political parties don’t do this anymore, do they?

Those are both good questions, but it seems, at least for a short time, the BC NDP website were offering an invitation “to an exclusive reception bringing together leaders from across the forest sector.”

It went on to say that “This special evening will offer a unique opportunity to engage directly with Minister Parmar – to share your insights, discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the sector, and help shape a collective vision for a strong, sustainable, and resilient forest economy.”

The web page continued, “… this event aims to foster collaboration between government and industry to ensure our forests continue to generate jobs, economic opportunity …”

Then came the opportunity to register to attend the event, location of which would be disclosed after registration.

Now the web page for this event has disappeared and can no longer be found, but before it did, this is what caught my attention …

General Admission: CA$1,000

That’s right — to be able to have the opportunity to engage with BC NDP Forest Minister Ravi Parmar, you first had to cough up the $1,000 admission.

To be able to share your insights, discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the sector, you first had to cough up the $1,000 admission.

And to ensure our forests continue to generate jobs, economic opportunity… you guessed it, you first had to cough up the $1,000 admission.

Now, like I say, for reasons unknown the page for this event seems to have been taken down.

I’ll let you decide why that may be, but my guess is they likely got blow-back on it.

And … I’ll remind you once again of that 2017 news story.

Alan Forseth is a Kamloops resident. For 40 years he has been active, in a number of capacities, in local, provincial and federal politics, including running as a candidate for the BC Reform Party in the 1996 provincial election. He is currently President of the BC Conservatives Kamloops North Thompson Riding Association. He blogs at  Thoughts on BC Politics and More.