Sunday, February 28, 2016

This Day In Clarkland...Some 'Demands' Are Worth More Than Others.

BossBoss
DaPlaneVille


The MoCo got a statement from the infamous Fed Election Day-Luvin' "P.O." re: the Premier's Own Private (flights just north of) Idaho:

B.C. Premier Christy Clark's office is defending her travel expenses after documents obtained by freelance journalist Bob Mackin show she spent more than half a million dollars on private planes over the past five years.

Many of the flights were between Clark's riding in Kelowna, in the B.C. Interior, and her home in Vancouver.

WestJet and Air Canada frequently fly between those locations.

The premier's office told CBC News in a statement that commercial flights are booked when available, but added that "because of the demands on her time, we do charter flights when necessary as long as the per passenger cost is as close to commercial rates as possible."...



Gosh.

Demands on our fine Premier's 'time' that make it impossible to take regularly scheduled commercial flights?

You mean, as BMackin pointed out in his original piece, demands like this:

...Clark had planned to be in Vancouver on June 21, National Aboriginal Day, to lead the Om the Bridge yoga class on the Burrard Bridge. But a backlash by the public and BC Liberal Party members forced cancelation of the event. Clark spent part of the day in Kelowna before returning to Vancouver that afternoon to attend Canada's win over Switzerland in a Women's World Cup game...


Sheesh.


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And how many high-priced former short-pants wearin' PAB-Bots did it take to come up with the phrase...."as long as the per passenger cost is as close to commercial rates as possible" anyway?

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11 comments:

Anonymous said...

And what about those helicoptor bills?

RossK said...

Anon-Above--

Just for the 'hell(i)' of it or are there some very dark coloured implements to fix one's coif in there too?


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ron wilton said...

Not only did the McLeans get our railway for free, they got our premiers too.

http://bobmackin.ca/?p=829

RossK said...

Ron--

Indeed.

Is it any wonder that Darth Vader hates Mr. Mackin's FOIR's so much?

And why, exactly, did the Clarklandians up the FOI budget?

Is it to help facilitate the requests or...Is it to improve the redactive capabilities of said office?


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Anonymous said...

Premier's office replies on a Friday afternoon to a damaging story? Chickenshits.

Reading through BM's Tyee piece shows most of those flights were for prearranged stunts - "In 2014, Clark went for a one-day trip to Kelowna for the B.C. Wine Awards on Oct. 1 and another on Oct. 3 for the Westside Road upgrade news conference." Two flights to Kelowna in 3 days for events that were known months in advance.

"...the fact of the matter is this is a popular premier, an effective and competent premier," said UBC political science professor Max Cameron. Is Max looking for a post post tenure? Because any sane observer couldn't say that. Just look at at Maxxie's first claim: "POPULAR" - nope, no reputable pollster would back that up; it is a fiction, not a fact.

One wonders how the local MLAs make due with scheduled flights.

RossK said...

Anon-Above--

I hear you.

In fact, I'm surprised none of the usual flying surrender monkees....errr...digital influencers have started blaming all of this on David Eby yet.

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e.a.f. said...

Can remember the days the Premier along with cabinet used to take the ferry to Victoria from Kelowna and waited in line with the rest of us, the voting taxpayer. it was big news and lots of debate when it was O.K.ed the M.L.A.s could jump the line to get on immediately.

How entitled does this woman think she is? Not an effective premier at all. A provincial debt of over $60B, one in 5 children living below the poverty line and the usual stuff we find on Norm Farrell's blog. What a waste of air that woman is.

The B.C. Lieberals might want to consider dumping her.

Laughed when I saw it was a guy from U.B.C. who made the comment, ya from the "SAUDER" business school and the dumping ground for B.C. Lieberal supporters. There went the last of any credibility some of U.B.C. had.

Anonymous said...

Well, at least by using aircraft, Clark isn't tempted to run any stop signs!

RossK said...

Anon-Above--

But aren't there a couple on the way to YVR's South Terminal?


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North Van's Grumps said...

Former Alberta Premier Alison Redford had a similar penchant for flying their Government owned fleet as Christy Clark uses private flights here by taking her aides and a security force of one along with her. There is another similarity. Has Premier Christy Clark's travel arrangers intentionally made sure that there are EMPTY seats on the flight that could be used by others, even if it was to act as a connector flight to and out of Kelowna, or Prince George, or ....

"We were told by Redford's office staff and multiple staff from the Department of Treasury Board and Finance that for certain flights the remaining seats available on the plane were blocked to restrict access to Premier Redford on the aircraft.

BTW The twelve X 2 ???? RCMP security officers who travel individually with the Premiers and Prime Minister, and/or their designated Deputy Premier / Ministers in the event of an assassination or accident or Drunk Driving, are the officers chosen based on A) Nearing retirement B) a Member of the governing Party C) On Sick Leave D) Section .21 ?


http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/premier-alison-redford-s-flights-had-false-passengers-auditor-general-says-1.2720906

North Van's Grumps said...

Another way to look at Christy's $500,000 spent on personal private flights. She could be making a dent in the promise of 65,000 additional MRI over four years with a down payment of 657 @ $760 each. That would be 657 patients who would know what their health issue is instead of waiting 8 months to 2 years or for the promised $30 trillion in royalties over 30 years.