One strand at a time, this is what it looks like when democracy is being unravelled. Well, perhaps it's more visceral than that. This is what it looks like when a corrupt government and it's leaders rip apart an already bruised and battered Democracy.
This is what happens to those who stand up and say no. Stand up for the citizens of BC. There is no more room for that in BC.
In April 2010,
Linda Johnston, deputy chief electoral officer with Elections BC said the provincial government could not fight former premier Bill Vander Zalm's anti-HST petition with a taxpayer-funded mail-out.
Elections BC wrote the government Wednesday saying the government mail out does not meet the rules of the Recall and Initiative Act when it comes to government advertising surrounding promoting or opposing Bills or petitions.
"In order to ensure compliance with the Recall and Initiative Act, it is imperative that government advertising does not indirectly promote or oppose an initiative petition or the associated draft bill in any way unless government first registers as an initiative advertising sponsor and complies with the $5,000 advertising limit," said the letter to the Ministry of Attorney General from deputy chief electoral officer Linda Johnson.
More here.
On June 5, 2010
Chief Electoral Officer Harry Neufeld's term came to an end. Neufeld told the media he had no concerns having to leave before the HST recall petition process has come to an end.
"I have excellent staff here and an extremely capable deputy [Linda Johnston]" he said.
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Ax Fall on Officer who Nixed Lib's HST Budget Mailer
Linda Johnson's job eliminated by politically appointed interim Elections BC chief.
By Andrew MacLeod, 10 Sep 2010, TheTyee.ca
In September 2010 the Tyee reported that [Craig]James, who was appointed by the government in June on an interim basis until an all-party legislative committee can decide on a permanent chief electoral officer, announced a restructuring that eliminated the deputy chief electoral officer position.
Linda Johnson, who had held the position for 19 years and who had been with the agency that oversees provincial elections for 28 years, lost her job as part of the restructuring.
Interim Chief Electoral Officer Craig James: What is he up to?
Ian Reid, the Real Story, Sept. 24, 2010
Critics speculated the real reason for the firing had to do with Ms. Johnson’s ruling preventing the government from advertising against the anti-hst campaign. To critics, the firing looked suspiciously like government ordered payback. That only added to concerns that James, the interim Chief Electoral Officer appointed by the government without consultation, was bringing a partisan flavour to the office during an unprecedented period.
