Leaked documents reveal Liberals' plan to win ethnic vote
Document outlines "quick wins" such as making apologies for historical wrongs
CBC News
Posted: Feb 27, 2013 5:46 PM PT
Last Updated: Feb 27, 2013 10:07 PM PT
The leaked documents were sent from the e-mail account of B.C. Premier Christy Clark's Deputy Chief of Staff last January. (The Canadian Press/Darryl Dyck)
The NDP has uncovered documents that reveal how senior officials in Premier Christy Clark's office plan to win ethnic votes in the upcoming provincial election.
The documents, released Wednesday by the New Democrats, were sent from the personal e-mail account of Kim Haakstad, the premier’s Deputy Chief of Staff in January last year.
The "Multicultural Strategy" detailed a proposed ethnic outreach plan involving the premier's office, the Multiculturalism Ministry, the government caucus and the B.C. Liberal Party.
It also outlined "quick wins" for the Liberals, such as making apologies in the Legislature for historical wrongs and specifically mentioned the 1914 Komagata Maru incident, which saw a ship carrying 356 passengers forced to return to India after a two-month stand-off in Vancouver Harbour.
Premier Gordon Campbell already issued an official apology regarding the Komagata Maru incident in 2008.
NDP House Leader John Horgan said the leaked documents appear to show that election-related planning was conducted with the use of government resources.
But the Liberals insist the documents were purely for planning purposes and the "multicultural strategy" was never implemented.
Share Tools
Latest British Columbia News Headlines
- Dad gets $22,000 data roaming 'shock' from Fido
- A B.C. dad is accusing Rogers of price gouging, after his 11-year-old mistakenly racked up $22,000 worth of data charges on his father's phone, during a family trip to Mexico. more »
- Greyhound bus skids off highway near Prince George
- A Greyhound bus carrying 18 passengers skidded off a highway between Prince George and McBride late Saturday night. more »
- Syringes stolen from Gastown clinic
- Police say syringes containing heroin and morphine were stolen from a Gaston clinic during an early morning break-in on Sunday. more »
- Avalanche danger 'extreme' this weekend
- Avalanche danger has been elevated to extreme this weekend across much of the province. more »
Top News Headlines
- Cardinals begin pre-conclave meetings amid scandal
- Cardinals from around the world gathered inside the Vatican for their first round of meetings before the conclave to elect the next pope, amid scandals inside and out of the Vatican and the continued reverberations of Benedict XVI's decision to retire. more »
- Dad gets $22,000 data roaming 'shock' from Fido
- A B.C. dad is accusing Rogers of price gouging, after his 11-year-old mistakenly racked up $22,000 worth of data charges on his father's phone, during a family trip to Mexico. more »
- Queen remains in hospital after overnight stay
- Queen Elizabeth remains in a London hospital for a second day because of an apparent stomach infection. more »
- Egypt's politician skewer, testing the limits of post-revolution satire
- Meet Egypt's Jon Stewart, a former heart surgeon turned late-night TV host whose biting satire has not endeared him to the country's political class. But, as Nahlah Ayed reports, comedian Bassem Youssef may be the revolution's real star. more »
- Quebec papal contender 'ready' but wary of media spotlight
- Quebec Cardinal Marc Ouellet, who is considered by some to be a leading contender for the Vatican's top post, tells CBC's Peter Mansbridge in an exclusive interview he knows he must be ready to become the next pope as cardinals prepare to select Benedict's successor. more »
- Greyhound bus skids off highway near Prince George
- Syringes stolen from Gastown clinic
- B.C. Liberals grapple with resignations amid 'ethnic vote' conflict
- Police investigate possible abduction in Surrey, B.C.
- Chinese community outraged at Liberal 'ethnic vote' plan
- Man dead in possible homicide
- U.S. retailer brings parity pricing to B.C. stores
- Avalanche danger 'extreme' this weekend
- 17-year-old man stabbed in Surrey
