Saturday, February 26, 2011

Will "Hanging" Chad Pederson determine BC Liberal leadership? OR "Bring me the head of Kelly Reichert!"


"No PIN?  Get the hell out!" Friendly BC Liberal Party staffer at undisclosed Vancouver office tells Global TV's John Daly and camera operator to please turn off camera and leave on Friday


"Hanging" Chad Pederson - BC Liberal Party Executive Director - since December, replacing Kelly Reichert
The BC Liberal Party leadership contest has descended into chaos as thousands of members have not received their Personal Identity Number or PIN that is required in order to vote for George Abbott, Christy Clark, Mike de Jong or Kevin Falcon.

"This is not good," Abbott said on Global TV news Friday. "We don't have a clear sense of how many people might potentially be affected by this PIN number situation."

Falcon is also worried, telling the Vancouver Sun on Thursday evening that: "We’re not getting a real strong sense this is something that is under control entirely at the party. A day before the vote, this is a serious concern.”

So one good question is - why did 15-year BC Liberal Party Executive Director Kelly Reichert suddenly resign December 11 and leave the most important event since Gordon Campbell's leadership takeover in 1993 in the hands of new Executive Director Chad Pederson?

Wouldn't good sense tell anyone - especially BC Liberal Party board members - that Reichert was desperately needed at the helm for just two more months to make sure the critical leadership contest was run smoothly and without controversy?

While Reichert's term was marked with controversy - especially allegations in pre-trial hearings for David Basi and Bob Virk that Reichert hired Basi for political dirty tricks for $20,000 outside his job as ministerial assistant to then-Finance Minister Gary Collins - surely a couple more months work wouldn't have made a big difference.

Reichert is also known for being the brother-in-law of top Basi-Virk RCMP investigator Inspector Kevin deBruyckere - who disclosed the relationship to his superiors but continued on throughout the more than 6 year investigation and trial, which ended with surprise guilty pleas just before Collins was to testify.

Chad Pederson is no doubt a fine fellow who has been dealt an extremely difficult hand of cards - but he can't be held to blame for the mess that has embarrassed the BC Liberals.

Perhaps BC Liberal Party President Mickey Patryluk would like to explain how and why Reichert was made to disappear like a magic trick just before the leadership rabbit was pulled out of the hat.

And perhaps, while she is at it, Patryluk could explain why the BC Liberal Party has left Kash Heed to go to BC Supreme Court to attempt to get out of his Election Act obligations for appropriate financial reporting rather than the Party intervening some time ago to straighten out the books after Heed's campaign manager Barinder Sall was charged with criminal and Election Act charges over an unauthorized and unreported attack leaflet on NDP candidate Gabriel Yiu.

And why can't we find any photos of Kelly Reichert online anywhere?

Inquiring minds want to know!.

UPDATE: A reader sends this URL with a probable Reichert sighting online:

12 comments:

sv said...

This might be one photo of him, Bill

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=b7b3c84b-00bc-4924-bfb7-7a47eaf4a8e0&k=34442

Anonymous said...

I'm not surprised at the events that have descended on this vote. The Liberal party has become a laughing stock. HA!

Which corrupt bastard will make it to the top this time?

BC Mary said...

Hmmm. No photos of Kelly Reichert?

It's a sign. Do the math: there are bazillions of photos of Gordo the Magnificent. It must mean that not being visible is the key to power in The New Era.

DPL said...

Sleazy bunch of BC Liberals

North Van's Grumps said...

A Canadian flag in the corner of the office, I thought this was a Provincial Leadership race that was going on, or, is this race being run by the Federal Liberals and not the Provincial BC Liberals?

Skookum1 said...

Just as we have few investigate reporters in this country, we have fewer paparazzi....actually there's a crew of paparazzi who manage to get at the political-social life in Halifax, for Frank Magazine....here they'd probably have security grab their cameras and smash them, huh?

Not just Reichert is near-invisible among those in the top flights of the power staircase here....give that some thought who else that might be, it's an interesting list when you think about it....

E.M said...

Listening to CKNW Yesterday, members of the Public were calling in re the absent pin #'s, the difficulty getting through to the 1 800 #. One person called in stating SHE had gotten a pin # and she has not been a member for the last 15 years( approx) nor has She paid!!!!

E.M said...

Trying to keep up with everything is exhausting, I found this tidbit about Kelly Reichert (Mr. Kidd)2006
Could it be He stepped down because they are using His Companies software?
----

Thursday, November 02, 2006
http://coastlib.blogspot.com/

The Smell of Fish in Penticton!
Ah... the promise of those dreamy hospitality suites, with their booze, politicians, and intoxicated boys and girls. It is BC Liberal Convention time again!

Seriously, all are looking forward to another convention closely choreographed by classic James Bond Diamonds are Forever bad guys Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd a.k.a. Kelly Reichert and Hoong Neoh. When not living it up as the executive thingies of Strategic Outlook Inc. this famous duo do a one-two act as Executive Director of the BC Liberal Party and his Orwellian titled Information Director.

For sometime now this crew has Flordiaized all BC Liberal Convention voting – that is, they have introduced the great American innovation of electronic voting.
This homemade software, which was developed at the party’s expense (and I’m sure wholly unrelated to whatever software our ambitious moonlighters are peddling through Strategic Outlook Inc.), takes care of all that annoying ballot printing and tabulation that used to throw BC Liberal Conventions into such dehabilitating logistical quagmires (right). Good news indeed, however, in hushed hospitality suite corners, nervous Nellies often complain about the absence of a paper record of votes cast. Not to worry, Hoong (the man with information) tells us. The party office brass (KR & HN) coordinate all the convention’s information technology needs personally so as to ensure everything is on the up and up. Still, conspiracy theorists worry that all this home-made computer voting activity is simply a warm up act for Rich Coleman enthusiasts Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd’s big plan to take the next BC Liberal Leadership contest electronic – with their software no less.
Anyway, more from the halls of Penticton as it happens – depending on how tonight's hospitality suites go.
-------Is this old news? or forgotten?
http://coastlib.blogspot.com/



Strategic Outlook Inc/ Kelly Reichert Co,

Anonymous said...

A good book to read prior to adopting electronic voting is.
"Loser Take All" by Mark Miller

Anonymous said...

A good book to read prior to adopting electronic voting is.
"Loser Take All" by Mark Miller

A thin paper back book:

"Government Policy for Economic Growth"

By Glen Clark

A rather large book:

"Government Policy for Economic Growth"

by W.A.C. Bennett.

A large heavy book to read:

"Social Health Care for the People"

By Tommy Douglas

A thin book to read

"Social Health care for the People"

By Joy McPhail.

Anonymous said...

Hmmm. No photos of Kelly Reichert?

Why?

Um well, what ever turn you on
and turns your crank.

For me it was Farah Fawcett.

Anonymous said...

A Canadian flag in the corner of the office, I thought this was a Provincial Leadership race that was going on, or, is this race being run by the Federal Liberals and not the Provincial BC Liberals?

Um well, where the office is, is within Canada.

Think this poster is reading too much into what he sees.