News Release
Ralston calls Liberal’s unauthorized endorsement from RCMP Chief Superintendent “desperate move”
May 2, 2009
Bruce Ralston, NDP candidate and incumbent MLA in Surrey –Whalley, is demanding an explanation from the BC Liberal Party for a fabricated endorsement by
CAMPBELL GOVERNMENT TRYING TO DUCK PUBLIC OVERSIGHT OF FINANCES
CAMPBELL HAS QUESTIONS TO ANSWER WHEN HE COMES BACK TO B.C., SAYS NDP
CAMPBELL HAS QUESTIONS TO ANSWER WHEN HE COMES BACK TO B.C., SAYS NDP
VANCOUVER – Gordon Campbell has some questions to answer when his private jet touches down in B.C. from Beijing, the New Democrats said today.
Standing outside Campbell’s cabinet office in downtown Vancouver, NDP MLA Adrian Dix challenged Campbell to answer the following questions:
1) The B.C. Liberal government has had a week to hear from British Columbians who are mad over raises of up to $105,000 for Campbell’s top advisors. Why did Campbell tell British Columbians two years ago that he wouldn’t hike exec salaries until 2010, and will he roll back the massive pay hikes for his top executives?
2) The B.C. Liberal government made their decision to hike wages in secret, and they are refusing to release any reports justifying the obscene raises. Are there any reports that informed Campbell’s decision to hike executives’ pay, and if so will Campbell make them public?
3) Campbell justifies the pay hikes by citing comparisons with other provinces, but even though the premier’s top deputy now has the highest pay out of any deputies in Canada, apparently Campbell doesn’t care that we are ranked last for child poverty, last for minimum wage earning power, and seventh for per capita health care spending. Does Campbell think he has the right priorities?
"It is unconscionable for Premier Campbell to push ahead with massive pay hikes for an elite group of top execs while leaving ordinary British Columbians behind. People are increasingly feeling pinched, whether it’s from the gas tax, increased cost of living, or stagnant wages," said Dix.
"It is beyond me how the premier can justify this pay hike while at the same time refusing to increase the minimum wage, rolling back health care workers’ wages and saddling British Columbians with a steady flow of new taxes and fare hikes."
