Wednesday, May 06, 2009

 

Imagine Lillian as Deputy Chief of Staff in Bill Vander Zalm's office

.
Shelley Fralic in today's Vancouver Sun offers a little chat about gossip, and how people are hard-wired for gossip, and all that. Kind of interesting to me, since I've been struggling to separate comments about superficial gossip from the very serious stuff about running the Province of British Columbia.

Shelley's column, I heard it through the blog-vine is HERE.

... then here's what I said in an e.mail to her:


To: sfralic@vancouversun.com
Subject: I heard it through the blog-line ...
Date: Wed, 6 May 2009

Hi Shelley,

The issue, on my blog, is Lara Ann Dauphinee's influence on the governance of British Columbia. But there's no denying the veracity of what you say about humans and their gossip.

We've all heard the rumours, up to and including the baby. [Interesting Freudian slip in yesterday's news when reporting on the first public speech given by Geoff Campbell, the premier's "eldest" son. Unless there were 3 sons, it should've said "elder" son*.] But like many others in the past, I thought, Phhtt, private lives, not interested.

But then that 2001 letter surfaced from Lara Dauphinee to Martyn Brown, Chief of Staff, recommending the hiring of Bobby Virk as aide to the Minister of Transportation. That's where Ms Dauphinee became undeniably significant to the public.

If I had any doubt about her significance, it vanished when I began searching for a photo of her, and information about her. You know about that?? An almost perfect cone of silence.

I've done my best to keep my blog free of prurient comment (delete, delete) even while I yearn to ask the question: If Gordo and Lara were actually married, would you feel better about her role in the premier's office? I think the answer would be no. (I'm trying to imagine Lillian in Bill Vanderzalm's office as Deputy Chief of Staff as well as his Executive Assistant ...)

Just wondering what you think? Off the record, if you prefer.

Best wishes,

BC Mary
The Legislature Raids
http://bctrialofbasi-virk.blogspot.com/

"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
I'll let you know if she replies. And if she gives me permission to quote, I'll share her insights, too. - BC Mary.

"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

Here's the relevant paragraph, shown here just in case this, too, disappears:

Campbell's son steps into the political limelight
By Jonathan Fowlie
CanWest News Service - May 4, 2009

VANCOUVER — Premier Gordon Campbell's 32-year-old son Geoff has worked tirelessly throughout the past three weeks in the backrooms of his father's campaign, helping the party to engage young voters from across B.C.

But on Monday night, *the eldest of Campbell's two sons took a rare step into the political limelight, delivering a speech at one of the campaign's largest events so far, and giving a glimpse of the politician that may be lurking within. {Snip} ...

"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

Comments:
Mary,

That's as nice a piece of reporting as you're ever going to find in the pages of the shrinking Sun and Province. I've always had a problem with 'columnists' like Fralic and Leah McLaren (Globe) in supposedly 'serious' broadsheets...in the Province of course - who cares?

Still, I wish Shelley would take a quick sidestep into real journalism and look a little further into the CEO's social calendar.

Be kind of nice to find out exactly how often Nancy Campbell joins the CEO on the rubber chicken circuit...

Don't you?
 
.
Thanks, G ... but are you reading my mind?

One of my next postings will show photos of Nancy Campbell and Lara Dauphinee attending the same social event in Vancouver.

No, not side by side. But attending the same event. At least, that's how it looks to me.

These photos came via another one of our valued Anon-Y-mice, with GREAT appreciation from me, as I know how difficult it is to find these photos.

.
 
Gwest, there was a columnist years ago, can't remember which paper - Lynn something? - who started asking too many pionted questions and writing too many columns outside her glitterati-softcore staples and got fired for it; her farewell column is memorable, they let her say her piece about why she was being fired; She'd been hired to write "girly stuff" and started taking on the government; can't remmember if it was Campbell or Vander Zalm, don't think it was in the Bennett II years. Ring any bells?
 
I think you may be thinking of Patricia Pearson, who quit the National Post a few years back...check it out at Friends of Canadian Broadcasting where they have a copy of her piece from the Globe from 2003.
 
Skookum1:
Even if Pearson wasn't actually the journalist you were thinking of, this piece of hers is one of the best explanations of how her profession has failed to meet its obligations to the people and the fundamental requirements of democratic life.

I think you'll agree Mary and I think we've discussed the piece before too... anyway, here's a link:

http://www.friends.ca/News/Friends_News/archives/articles04190301.asp

If we had a few more Patricia Pearsons covering the Basi Virk Trial and the sale of BC in the MSM I can't think that would be a bad thing.
 
.
What a treat, G, to read that column again!

Was it only April 19, 2003 that it appeared?

For those who click the link you provided, they need to ask the Search Box for either Patricia Pearson or her column's title "See no evil no more".

That column should be reprinted every July 1.

Thanks again, G.

.
 
Thanks for the tip (about getting the last step to the article - unfortunately you can't get it from the Globe without paying) and here's a tip o' the hat for anyone who takes the time to read that column...IF only?
 
Skookum1 . . . regarding that reporter who was whipped out of her job . . . I heard it was Nicole Parton.
 
Skookum1 . . . regarding that reporter who was whipped out of her job . . . I heard it was Nicole Parton.
 
I wonder what the story was that she was diving into????
 
Another reason to turf them out: the creation of the $223 million Public Affairs Bureau and its 200-plus staffers in the Legislature basement, whose job it is to gather and control information and disseminate disinformation and "spins" - at public expense. Considering all the other outsourcing of services going on, it might be worth having a look at who works there in the capacity of rank-and-file information mole, and who's the big info-cheese. Where are they from? Are they party hacks? Imported consultants from TO or the United States or Alberta? Or just some college kids willing to sell out in order to establish themselves with the ruling system?

Who are they, and why does the BC government what is effectively the largest newsroom in the country (does CBC HQ's newsroom in Toronto even have that much staff? Radio-Canada's in Montreal?)

Why does news get nationalized when everything else is getting privatized?
 
Another reason to turf them out: the creation of the $23-to-31 million Public Affairs Bureau and its 223 staffers in the Legislature basement, whose job it is to gather and control information and disseminate disinformation and "spins" - at public expense. Considering all the other outsourcing of services going on, it might be worth having a look at who works there in the capacity of rank-and-file information mole, and who's the big info-cheese. Where are they from? Are they party hacks? Imported consultants from TO or the United States or Alberta? Or just some college kids willing to sell out in order to establish themselves with the ruling system?

Who are they, and why does the BC government what is effectively the largest newsroom in the country (does CBC HQ's newsroom in Toronto even have that much staff? Radio-Canada's in Montreal?)

Why does news get nationalized when everything else is getting privatized?
 
Yes, Nicole Parton was another who got drumheaded out of the PacPress building, but that's still not who I'm thinking of. I wonder if I can remember an issue that whoever I'm thinking of wrote on, then maybe I can search their archive and find her that way. Unless she's been deleted. Still no answer from the reporter types of my acquaintance.

Folded, spindled, mutilated as we all have been no doubt, but it's as simple as deleting someone from both digi- and paper archives now to make it as if they'd never have been.....

Speaking of which, somewhere out there on the internet is a virtual shrine run by a Buddhist order in Japan, dedicated to remember and honour deleted information. Used to have a neat little 3-D animation thingamawhatzit-cum-ritual, and a Godzilla-type guardian....all sanctioned by the Abbot of wherever, and meant to be serious and legit....seems apt.

I gather there's no shrine to those who do the deleting, though.....
 
Wiki-style thinking:

"List of journalists who have been fired from newspapers in British Columbia for political reasons".

It's a very long list.
 
I still don't understand how the Premier's 32-year-old son has managed to work so tiressly for the past three weeks on behalf of his Father when Geoff isn't even a resident of British Columbia . He promised that he and his immediate family will only come back to BC if the BC Liberals are in power.

Seems like those who live and work in the United States of America have more access, and sway and say over British Columbians, who live here full time.

There ought to be an Elections BC law.
 
Post a Comment



<< Home