Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Donna Barnett vs Charlie Wyse re: Neg. Ads

Courtesy of HQCariboo.com:

The MLA for Cariboo-Chilcotin, not surprisingly, has a different take than her NDP opponent when it comes to the so-called Liberal attack ads.

NDP Candidate for Cariboo-Chilcotin Charlie Wyse describes the currently airing advertisements as, "American-style attack ads."

Donna Barnett admits she hasn't actually seen the anti-NDP ad funded by former CANFOR CEO Jim Shepard but wants to clarify her stance on it.

"That third party person is not our party. It's freedom of speech. When you're out there like Charlie [Wyse] was with 'Idle No More' protesting, that's called freedom of speech and you cannot stop anybody who wants to pay for any type of ad from doing that. I just hope our party doesn't come out with negative ads."

The ad focuses on an incident with now NDP leader Adrian Dix who allegedly back-dated a document during the Glen Clark Premiership. That scandal is featured heavily on RiskyDix.ca, a website funded by the BC Liberals designed to deface Dix' reputation. To no one's surprise, the site itself has turned out to be controversial. Dix was fired and collected a $70,000 severance following the back-dating, according to RiskyDix.ca. That was over 10 years ago.

Barnett continues, "It's election time and unfortunately I guess some of us call it...well I won't say what we call it, but it's election time and who knows what's going to happen? My constituency will be putting the facts on the table and that's it. When I listen to Jim Shepard on Global [News], he said their group was just putting facts on the table."

View Global News story here

She also responds to the NDP's gripe about excessive tax payer dollars being spent on Liberal Jobs Plan ads to the tune of $15 million.

Barnett says, "Yes," when asked if she agrees that amount is excessive. Clearly not on the same page with her higher-up's decisions on ad-spending, she says it is because of freedom of speech that she can say that.

MLA's return to the house next Tuesday the 12th for the first time since last May, and just 3 months before the highly advertised provincial election.

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