Hey Dix, where's Moe?

[Rwede]

Has anyone else noticed the strange absence of Moe Sihota from the NDP's election campaign?

Is Dix keeping his party's President under wraps, in the hope that people forget about Moe's track record of corruption and scandal? I sure think so.

It's time for a refresher course on Dix's Right-Hand Man:

BC Law Society misconduct

Sihota resigned as Minister of Labour in 1995 after the Law Society of BC suspended his license to practice for 18 months, due to finding him guilty of professional misconduct.[2] He was reinstated to Cabinet in 1996, but resigned again December of the same year due to new allegations of corruption, abuse of office, and conflict of interest. The new allegations were due to actions he performed while in office that benefited his friend and former Vancouver MP Herb Dhaliwal.

BC Hydro appointment

In 1991 Sihota helped his friend Dhaliwal become appointed to the board of B.C. Hydro in 1991, after Dhaliwal provided Sihota with a substantial mortgage guarantee.[3] The opposition BC Liberals then requested an investigation by Conflict commissioner Ted Hughes. Hughes later found that Sihota had not been in a conflict of interest. However Hughes also said at the time of the finding that had the new conflict of interest laws been in place during Dhaliwal's appointment in 1991, Sihota would have been found to be in a conflict of interest.[4]

Limousine licences

In 1996 Dhaliwal had applied to the Motor Carrier Commission for several licenses related to a limousine company partly owned by Dhaliwal and run by Sihota's cousin. It was later revealed by the former Commission chairman that Sihota had made repeated calls and wrote several letters to the commission in relation to Dhaliwal's applications.[5] Sihota again resigned from cabinet in 1996. A new investigation was started not by the Conflict of Interest Commissioner, but by fellow NDP party member and Glen Clark deputy minister Doug McArthur. Although McArthur found that Sihota had "exercised poor judgment and bullied commission staff", he found that Sihota had not been in a conflict of interest.[6] Glen Clark then reappointed Sihota back to cabinet in 1998.

Union Payoff

In November 2009, he was elected to the position of President of the BC New Democratic Party. In October 2010, it was revealed that Sihota is being paid a salary for his position as President,[7] with payments from The Canadian Union of Public Employees, United Steelworkers and the BC Federation of Labour.

[grammafreddy]

Shhhhhhhhhhhhh .... we're supposed to forget about Moe.

[Its_Like_That]

Where's Moe?
Maybe Moe isn't recognizable because of gender reassignment surgery.

ONE OF THE B.C. NDP's top elected party officials might have to resign, depending on the outcome of the leadership race.

That's because the B.C. NDP's constitution states that "both genders" must be represented in the three positions of leader, president, and treasurer.

[LoneWolf_53]

You would think they'd catch on, as to why people aren't crazy about their stupid policies, given they can't seem to adhere to them themselves.

[Anonymous123]

Where's Moe?
Maybe Moe isn't recognizable because of gender reassignment surgery.

ONE OF THE B.C. NDP's top elected party officials might have to resign, depending on the outcome of the leadership race.

That's because the B.C. NDP's constitution states that "both genders" must be represented in the three positions of leader, president, and treasurer.

Would that be Larry, Moe and Curly?

[Hassel99]

jail?

[MAPearce]

I will NEVER vote NDP...

It's just a vote for Moe...Scumbag.

[GordonH]

Dix and Moe are around somewhere, what curious about is what the hell happened to Curly. lol

[Gone_Fishin]

Good grief, who would want Moe calling the shots for government? He's been deep in the centre of scandal and corruption for the NDP for decades, and he's still there in the top party spot. Dix is hoping you forget he's there. Wake up people!



Ex-NDP minister Moe Sihota solicited stipend from unions, labour boss says


Moe Sihota solicited donations for a stipend to compensate him for his work as the provincial New Democratic Party's president, says the head of the British Columbia Federation of Labour.

The NDP says it is paying Mr. Sihota, a former cabinet minister, a stipend using a "generous, earmarked gift from the labour movement."

British Columbia Federation of Labour president Jim Sinclair said his own group contributed $4,000 - after Mr. Sihota asked for a donation.

Mr. Sinclair said other unions also donated, although he didn't know which ones, or how much they had contributed.

"Moe approached the labour movement and said 'I'd like to get some help to do this job' " some time after he was elected president, Mr. Sinclair said. " 'I want to do it but it's a big job.' He approached a number of unions and some said yes and some said no."

The party made the admission after Mr. Sihota revealed the source of that stipend during a conference call with constituency association presidents last Thursday, after a volatile three-day caucus retreat.

That gift contrasts sharply with the party's public efforts to distance itself from labour, which included a 2005 move to reduce the influence of unions at party conventions.

In an e-mail, New Democratic provincial secretary Jan O'Brien would only say the stipend is "commensurate with what other BCNDP staff receive." But political pundit Bill Tieleman last week reported that sources had told him the amount was "to the tune of between $60,000 and $100,000 a year."

The Globe and Mail has been unable to confirm that report. But Mr. Sihota - who was elected to his present post in November, 2009 - told constituency association presidents:

"In my case, labour has traditionally made a donation to provide a stipend for the president because this is a full-time job. And that tradition has continued in this instance."

Ms. O'Brien didn't respond to a question as to which of Mr. Sihota's predecessors received a stipend, instead stating, "The role of party president has always been a demanding position requiring nearly full-time attention. We've been fortunate that the last two people in that role were able to dedicate a great deal of their time to the role."

Mara Parte, who was president from 2001 to 2003, said via a New Democratic caucus spokesperson that she did not receive a stipend.

Ms. Parte's predecessor, now MLA Bruce Ralston, did not respond to a request for comment.

But Patrice Pratt, who was president from 1992 to 1996, said, "I love to say this, I actually paid to be president of the NDP" - a reference to the incidental expenses she picked up out of her own pocket.

Ms. Pratt acknowledged she was a "well-paid" union employee at the time. And "certainly if I went to a national NDP convention I was in a hotel, a modest hotel, and I had meals paid and I had my flight paid. But that's it - expenses. I got zippo, nothing more."

Ian Aikenhead, who was president from 1989 to 1992, also did not receive any money. "I was a volunteer. Now, that was more than 20 years ago, and I don't know what traditions have developed since that time."

Ms. O'Brien said that Mr. Sihota is "able to dedicate his full attention to building our party, leading the executive team, and working with the caucus in Victoria as we build for the 2013 election."

She did not respond to a question as to which unions were behind the stipend, although their donations will be recorded in the party's annual report to Elections BC.

Chris Bradshaw, a spokesman for the BC Government and Service Employees' Union, "is not contributing to the fund that is going toward paying Moe Sihota's stipend."

Mr. Sinclair said he did not know whether the labour movement funded stipends for other New Democrat presidents. Mr. Sihota did not respond to a request for comment.

[NAB]

What's the source and date on that article? Looks rather ancient to me.

Nab

[steven lloyd]

What's the source and date on that article? Looks rather ancient to me.

Posting links is pretty complicated stuff Nabs ;o)