Apology for Gordon Wilson

[lasnomadas]

Not sure why this deserves another headline in Castanet, but I'll address it again anyway. Perhaps Wilson deserves an apology of sorts. He apparently did report some of his meetings with a few companies that were related to the LNG industry, but oddly enough, nothing was reported after 2015. At least that's what I've read in various news reports.

If he effectively stopped doing what he was paid to do from 2015 to 2017 when the NDP fired him, why was he still collecting his $150,000 per year stipend? IMHO, that is the most important question that should be asked, yet it has been dismissed and swept under the BC Liberal carpet, as is par for the course when they run up against a question they can't answer.

Sure, they can deflect and point fingers at the NDP as Wilkinson is doing, and I guess that's enough to satisfy the BC Liberal adherents, but I and other British Columbians want answers to this and many other questions regarding the BC Liberal 'appointees'.

[The Green Barbarian]

Perhaps Wilson deserves an apology of sorts. .

understatement of the century.

Bruce Ralston

I recently made a statement concerning Gordon Wilson, the former Advocate for LNG Buy BC Program, that "we were unable to locate any written reports by him setting out what he had done to earn that money." As I have stated publicly previously, that statement was inaccurate, and based on incorrect information provided to me. In fact Mr. Wilson did provide reports setting out what he had done to earn the money that he was paid. I regret making the statement, I retract that statement in its entirety, and apologize to Mr. Wilson for my error in making that inaccurate statement.
Bruce Ralston,
Minister of Jobs, Trade, and Technology
August 12, 2017

[mcorg]

Granted, the language used to justify the firing was certainly over the top in that Wilson did actually write a few notes earlier in his appointed tenure, but I'm of the opinion it was his wife's writing that actually got him that very plumb position that he most certainly did not compete with anyone for.

His wife? Yes, that would be Judy Tyabji who went from being a housewife married to someone else to a politician and is now an author who just happened to write a very interesting and lauding bio on none other than Christy Clark, which the former premier has describes in glowing terms repeatedly.

Don't forget Gordon and Judy were the Liberal show in BC before the old Socred Party died of rot and it's denizens scurried over to commandeer that then MLAless party of convenience.

Yes, Gordon has plenty of baggage and apparently some of it has now caught up with him.

[hupur]

IF they have any decency they will apologize to Christy too.

[lasnomadas]

Apologize to Christy for what? Letting her lie her way into 4 more years in which to put B.C. in so much debt that it may never recover? No, they owe British Columbians an apology for that lousy 2013 election campaign. Christy deserves no apology , unless she blames the B.C. electorate for all those extra pounds she acquired by indulging in food and drink on her taxpayer-funded expense account.

[Urbane]

Granted, the language used to justify the firing was certainly over the top in that Wilson did actually write a few notes earlier in his appointed tenure, but I'm of the opinion it was his wife's writing that actually got him that very plumb position that he most certainly did not compete with anyone for.

His wife? Yes, that would be Judy Tyabji who went from being a housewife married to someone else to a politician and is now an author who just happened to write a very interesting and lauding bio on none other than Christy Clark, which the former premier has describes in glowing terms repeatedly.

Don't forget Gordon and Judy were the Liberal show in BC before the old Socred Party died of rot and it's denizens scurried over to commandeer that then MLAless party of convenience.

Yes, Gordon has plenty of baggage and apparently some of it has now caught up with him.

Your post provides even more rationale for Gordon Wilson going ahead with a lawsuit. Despite the apologies from Horgan and Ralston, Wilson continues to be ripped apart on social media just as if the lies from Horgan and Ralston had been true. Wilson's reputation has been damaged and I won't be surprised if he takes this issue further. You belittle what Wilson actually did (You say: ". . . Wilson did actually write a few notes earlier in his appointed tenure") when you know full well that he wrote more than a few notes. As I've said before, posters on here can get away with saying things that aren't true about elected officials but out there in the real world there are consequences. Horgan and Ralston are learning that now.

[lasnomadas]

And as I've said before, Wilson would be a fool to go ahead with this lawsuit. Far too many skeletons that will come tumbling out of his closet if he does. He would be better off to just let the matter drop and try to find a job on his own rather than looking for another BC Liberal appointment.

[Smurf]

I truly hope he takes the gamble. My regret is that we will be paying for it. I wonder if there is anyway he can sue those two idiots personally without involving the taxpayers.

[Urbane]

And as I've said before, Wilson would be a fool to go ahead with this lawsuit. Far too many skeletons that will come tumbling out of his closet if he does. He would be better off to just let the matter drop and try to find a job on his own rather than looking for another BC Liberal appointment.

How about the way that Ralston and Horgan handled all of this? You're okay with it? Wilson was the one lied about. What a nasty smear by you as you refer to "skeletons that will come tumbling out of his closet" and I'm reminded again why I would never want to go into politics. People just make things up and can say just about anything. Terrible.

[lasnomadas]

What's terrible is the way BC Liberal apologists ignore Wilson's history, jump on their high-horses, and try to turn him into a victim.

[erinmore3775]

Unfortunately, if Wilson through his lawyers decides to sue Ralston and Horgan and in effect the current government of BC, the suit will be based on the comments and actions that were directly related to his firing. The suit will not and cannot be linked to his history in government. The statements made by Ralston and Horgan were blatantly false. They had access to all the information related to Wilson and his work done on the LNG projects.They chose in their firing statements to make false and derogatory remarks.

The man did produce work. He did report to a Deputy Minister and he did communicate regularly with LNG operatives in Malasia, Australia, and China. Whether contributors here value his work or not is not important. He did produce work. He was paid for that work. The work is on file in Victoria. For political reasons, Ralston and Horgan chose to pick on Wilson, degrade his efforts, and lie about his performance. They only did that to Wilson and not to any of the other 100 political appointees that they fired. That is libellous and defamatory. Therefore, Wilson can sue and I hope he does.

Poor judgement was shown by Ralston and Horgan. Their judgement was based purely on vendetta and ideology. Democratic government is hard enough to accomplish so I hope that they have learned an important lesson and concentrate on the current practicalities necessary to run this province and focus on the NOW and not on ideology based vendettas from the past.

[Smurf]

The NDP had also put in a freedom of information request and received information that he had done work so there is no way they can even deny knowing about it. If memory serves me right, Horgan was in charge of the group that filed the request. I believe it is all on another thread where this was discussed.

[erinmore3775]

Unfortunately, Smurf, I cannot find any reference that Horgan directly ordered the review of Wilson and his LNG reports. However, I have indications that it was Ralston's office and Horgan's staff that handled Wilson's review and the reviews of the other Liberal political appointees and their subsequent firings.

http://theprovince.com/news/bc-politics/mike-smyth-the-sliming-of-gordon-wilson-then-the-apology Smyth analysis of Wilson firing

http://globalnews.ca/news/3644045/gordon-wilson-fired-steele-and-drex/ Steel and Drex interview Wilson

All the information I can find on this event shows that Wilson's firing was pure politics. However, the remarks of Ralston and Horgan were false and defamatory. All contributors to this form should listen to the interview and read Symthe's analysis before making further comments.

[Urbane]

^^ Agreed. Everyone should read that column and listen to the interview.

[lasnomadas]

I read the column, but haven't listened to the interview. Wilson may very well win the lawsuit if he chooses to pursue it, but if he pursues it in order to defend his reputation, he should know that ship has sailed........long ago, and nothing he can do, not even a defamation lawsuit can ever bring it back.