VICTORIA — Gaining insight into the behind-the-
scenes operations of politics is always fascinating. _
-.. For one thing, you learn a lot about the spin,
doctors and strategists who are advising the elected -
ones, and you learn more about the politicians
themselves, = 8° ore -
Case in pointisa =) yee
confidential NDP brief- -  ;

oo

.. shoddy? Because it ses: aber of
“ pointments that were: to fill the 48 firings that the:

_ Mr. Harcourt, in a scrum, put it this way —
which certainly is not defensive: "What list are you
talking about? The Liberal one which we just got,
which is a shoddy piece of research? Why is. it
confuses: a number of staff ap-

last government, intro-
_ ‘duced during'the tran-.
. *  gition period... Those

ingdocumentI received =.
which spelled out-the =~
government’s game .
plan for dealing. with
the latest questions -
over patronage.” |
Designed to deflect
the ever-growing con-

cea te on
get NT ety

"Another point made inthe...

-U¢onfidential NDP briefing document. -

dealt with steering and media and |
public focus away from individual

"staff had tobe filled." .
_.. As to the appoint-
ment of party: worker:
John Pollard, the
husband of NDP MLA.
‘Sue Hammel, to over.

see all appointments to
boards and commis-

cern about jobs for
' friends, and insiders...
which ‘the NDP have |

kere 6

“which the MLAs huddle in before going to the

~The D

ees

ate fut kane Coe yon boo.

Liberals’ list.” a)

- Terrace Review — May &, 1992 .

patronage appointments. "

-wals who are recommended
appropriate qualifications and background. We are.

: ‘bringing some. fairness and balance into a process

that was ad hoc and unfair for years.”

jon. paper was , prepared in ‘advance: of last

” guideline

blanket accusation they cannot defend. Discredit the —

sions, the briefing docu-
ment says: “His job is,
- to ensure that individ-
for appointment have,

Harcourt’s response: "I think John Pollard has

been appointed to make sure that the way, British

Columbians are appointed to boards and commissions
and agencies is quite different than under the
previous government. Appointments (then) were

made in an ad hoc manner. Nobody knew for sure

"who was appointed and why."

‘Another point made in the confidential NDP

 priefing document dealt with steering and media and
public focus away from individual patronage appoint-

‘ments. 006 a
"We need to-shift the focus onto the broader

a and criteria that we as an NDP govern-

“ment are committed to — regional representation,

_ gender balance and greater representation of visible.

- Here's the Premier again, apparently off the cuff,

minorities," the strategy paper states.