The Glenn Clark affair--politically motivated?

[Alvis]

Here we go with more re-writing of history. Just say things over and over again and try to get people to believe it. Yes, the NDP cut the number of spaces in medical schools for doctors and nurses. Yes we had a doctor and nursing shortage. Yes, we now have UBCO medical school and the situation is being resolved. I thought the topic of this thread was the Glen Clark deck-gate affair though.

Just answer the question, you brough the topic up.

[Urbane]

Just answer the question, you brough the topic up.

In a recent survey BC's health care system rated at or near the top in quite a number of categories when compared to other provinces. We should celebrate that while remembering this, which although off topic, is more important than re-hashing the deck-gate affair:

NDP failed to deliver health care promises:

The BC NDP promised health care facilities for communities across the province, but never delivered. The Jimmy Pattison Pavilion at VGH sat nearly empty for a decade. The third floor of GR Baker Hospital in Quesnel sat empty. A new hospital was promised to Abbotsford, but they never delivered. A Thompson-Okanagan-Kootenay Mental Health Facility was announced four times, but they never delivered it. However, they did find money to build fast ferries.

False promises:

In 1998, the NDP announced a $125 million, seven year mental health plan. Two years later, the government admitted they hadn’t funded it. “While it was announced, it was never in a budget. There was no budget approval,” Penny Priddy, former NDP Health Minister, Vancouver Sun, April 2000.
NDP cut nursing jobs:

To try and control health care costs in the 1990s, the NDP eliminated nearly 1,600 full-time nursing positions between 1993 and 1997. They also failed to create even one new medical school space.
NDP closed hospital beds:

During the 1990s, the NDP closed 3,580 beds in 10 years in hospitals across BC – a reduction of 29% of the total available beds and a reduction of 42% in the number of acute care beds per 1,000 population. However, they doubled the number of private clinics, including the Cambie and False Creek Surgical Centres.
Wait times increased:

Under the NDP between 1996 and 2001 wait lists for hip replacements increased from 8.5 weeks to 17.9 weeks and for knee replacements from 11.8 weeks to 21.6 weeks.
http://www.votesmartbc.com/issues_fastferryyears

[NAB]

Back to the topic..

According to information apparently made public by the judge at the time, an "unnamed" individual had provided assertions that Glen Clark 'had received renovations to his home in return for political influence". That in turn resulted in an investigation by the RCMP being launched and Clark's home being raided (and the whole thing being rather well staged as it turned out). That much appears true, but where at least one of the stories goes from there is that it was actually Jean Chretien and the federal Liberals who set out to get rid of Clark because of the positions he had taken regarding Canada/BC /US relations. Pretty crazy stuff huh? Until I decided to check to see if that story linked in any way to the alleged Alex T - unknown RCMP Member conversation at the start of this thread, and wondering who this unnamed accuser was...

I found the name Dimitros Vranhoos, an employee of "Canada's Taxation Service" alleged to be the unnamed informant against Clark, and which allegedly triggered an investigation by the RCMP's Vancouver Commercial Crime Unit, specifically Inspector Bill Ard and Staff Sergeant Peter Montague "who was a known supporter of Opposition leader Gordon Campbell."

Special Prosecutor Bill Smart apparently lost the case against Clark under Justice Elizabeth Bennett, but sufficient damage was done that Clark resigned anyway.

Regardless, whether true or not the point of the story is the allegation that Clark's demise was indeed politically motivated, but engineered by BC operatives of the Federal Liberal Party, ....Jean Chretien, leader and Prime Minister.

As I said, Pretty crazy stuff huh?

Nab

[Alvis]

Here we go with more re-writing of history. Just say things over and over again and try to get people to believe it. Yes, the NDP cut the number of spaces in medical schools for doctors and nurses. Yes we had a doctor and nursing shortage. Yes, we now have UBCO medical school and the situation is being resolved. I thought the topic of this thread was the Glen Clark deck-gate affair though.

Had? So it has been resolved? By the B CLiberals? Are you sure about that?
You will note this article are dated POST 2001, when the BC Liberals took power.
We are short at least 74 surgeons. Your boys have had 12 years to fix this. Closing the beds doesn't alleviate the problem, as they first tried to do.
http://www.vancouversun.com/health/Stud ... story.html