Dear Editor:
I would be lying if I said I was shocked to learn last week that the governing party was using cynical ploys and tax dollars to woo the votes of ethnic communities.
This was obvious to me when I attended the Lunar New Year celebrations in Burnaby. City councillors, MLAs and MPs handed out candy-filled red envelopes, embossed with gold lettering reminding shoppers who they were and the office they held. Admittedly, I was there too, armed with my green candy hoping to remind voters that the Green party wants to represent British Columbians in the Legislature. With such low voter turnout in Burnaby (48 per cent in Burnaby-Deer Lake), a few hundred votes makes a difference.
Of course, I'm disgusted by the memo and the use of tax dollars for self promotion, but what I find equally disturbing is that this is the second time in recent months that people's personal email correspondences have been leaked publicly by a government in waiting. I seriously wonder if and when my personal emails will be compromised. Furthermore, as far as I am aware, the Opposition sat on this information for more than a year without passing it on to the RCMP or auditor general to be investigated.
If there was any hint of illegality, this information should have been passed on to appropriate independent agency immediately.
Rick McGowan, Green party candidate for Burnaby-Deer Lake
