“The provincial distribution goals were met.” – Minister of State for Childcare, Linda Reid, October 24, 2007.
I’m sure the government isn’t lying when they say that 53% of the 2,000 booster seats handed out to poor families in BC went to people in NDP ridings.
“We achieved geographic reach across British Columbia.” – Linda Reid
The seats were handed out only by neoLiberal MLAs at their constituency offices where elegant photo ops took place.
Only 5 booster seats were distributed through all of north Vancouver Island and none in Haida Gwaii, despite government offices that could have distributed seats.
The premier’s Point Grey riding is not filled with the poor. It wasn’t on the government’s list for provincial distribution. Yet the NDP found he had a photo of himself handing out a booster seat on his website yesterday, until they pulled it.
Linda Reid said during question period today that she regrets the distribution method, but says their goals were met.
It is clear their goal was more than just handing out booster seats to the poor.
Even if 53% did go to children in poor families in NDP ridings, the neoLiberal MLAs took the photo ops instead of distributing the seats through government agencies.
When a person in Surrey phoned the BCAA to see if they could get a booster seat, they were asked if their MLA was a neoLiberal. No seat was available for them.
“We do not believe that constituency offices are partisan.” – Linda Reid
While technically true that constituency offices represent all constituents regardless of who they voted for, when neoLiberal MLAs and the premier take pictures of themselves handing out booster seats, constituency offices are being politicized.
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Stephen Elliott-Buckley
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