PRESS RELEASE
| December 17 , 2003 BC Media Fails to Attend The Media were invited to attend a press conference last week held by Ron Gamble Leader, Reform Party of British Columbia and failed to show up. The meeting was to announce the astonishing results of a recent poll conducted to test the attitudes of British Columbians towards six issues related to the perceived lack of fairness and transparency in the Liberal government’s privatization of BC Rail and other Crown assets in the Province of British Columbia. Events not shared by a strong majority of B.C.Citizens. Joining me, along with some Reform members, to discuss these matters were Glen Robbins of Robbins Research who conducted the poll and David Hawkins Foundation Scholar, Cambridge University and founder of the Citizen's Association of Forensic Economists to explain possible insider trading between, B.C. Investment Management Corporation (bcIMC) the public service pension fund, B.C.Government and the banking institutions. The questions and results of the poll were paid for by Reform BC and are as follows: Question #1 Do you support Reform BC’s demand for the delivery and publication of any and all contracts of sale of BC RAIL between the BC Government and CN Rail?
Question #2 According to experts, the sale of BC RAIL provides “insider” benefit to certain members of the legislature, and 379,000 public servants through pension funds.[ At the same time, 90% of BC’s population do not receive any equal benefit. In your opinion is this fair?
Question #3 Do you support Reform BC’s demands that all “off book” secret agreements involving BC Public Assets and Liabilities be submitted to the BC Legislature for approval?
Question #4 Do you support Reform’s demand that the BC Auditor General be authorized to prepare and present the BC Legislature with a quarterly Balance Sheet which shows BC’s Consolidated Public Assets and Liabilities, including all Assets in the Public sector under pension funds and all taxpayer supported and Crown Corporation supported debt?
Question #5 CanWest Global which owns Global Television, the Vancouver Sun, Vancouver Province and numerous community newspapers is owned in part by the same pension fund (bcIMC) which also owns shares in CN which recently purchased BC RAIL. In your opinion, is there a clear potential for bias in news coverage by CanWest Global in favour of Gordon Campbell’s BC Liberals, owing to the millions of dollars in advertising money received by them through government funded advertising, and advertising in the media by friends of the government pension fund who own shares in large corporations?
Small Businesses surveyed were also asked this following question: Does the local Chamber of Commerce, or any other business organization including the Better Business Bureau speak for you on matters relating to Small Business in British Columbia? Yes- 02% No- 98% Highlights
BC Liberal supporters are ‘split’ on wanting to see all the contracts relating to the sale of BC RAIL. Virtually all Reform BC supporters and majority of Small Business believe the details should be made public before the sale is concluded. An overwhelming majority of all respondents no matter their status within this survey are not happy about the “insider” deals enjoyed by bcIMC on behalf of the public pension fund at the exclusion of the rest of the citizens. All respondents want to know exactly how we are doing financially, including our Asset and Liability status relating to all government Crown Corporations. A majority of BC Liberal supporters and a minority of Small Businesses don’t question the inter-dependant relationship between CanWest Global, its television and newspaper interests, however most Reformers and an overwhelming majority of Small Businesses believe that at a minimum the perception is that a bias exists. On balance, only 16% of the total respondents in this survey support the BC Liberals. Reform BC better represents small business than BC Liberals do. Commentary: There is a large gulf of disagreement between what the BC Liberals are doing and what two-thirds of ‘free enterprisers’ think they should be doing with respect to clarity in government. The respondents reveal an attitude of “show me don’t tell me” because other than a minority of respondents surveyed, they don’t trust Gordon Campbell and his BC Liberal government. Gordon Campbell and the BC Liberals have only marginal support. The supporters they do have are not ready to fight for them, and Reformers, many frustrated over their federal failures are ready to look provincially for an alternative. If there is anything discovered in the BC RAIL sale that provides a benefit to the bcIMC pension fund at the expense of the citizens, even the media won’t be able to help Gordon Campbell and his MLA’s. For information regarding the survey please call Glen Robbins 604-942-3757
Ron Gamble -30-
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