🧵What’s B.C.'s biggest "media operation"? Perhaps only rivalled by @cbcnewsbc, it’s Government Communications and Public Engagement (GCPE), the people behind @BCGovNews. Annual budget ~$28M. The PR dept. of #bcgov is managed by @bcndp political appointees. #bcpoli Image
The executive committee is generally cabinet-appointed. Deputy Minister @DonZadravec spent 10 years at National PR and was a lobbyist for a pipeline company. #bcpoli #cdnfoi Image
The Assistant Deputy Minister's Office of Strategic Communications is now headed by Sage Aaron, @jjhorgan former communications director who was transferred from the Premier's office in September. #bcpoli #cdnfoi Image
Sage Aaron is also in charge of "cabinet priorities" for #GCPE. The PR department of government is key in the governing party's permanent campaign. #bcpoli #cdnfoi Image
Issues management office at #GCPE is key. These are the people involved in the spin. They "manage issues." It's their job to come up with the lines to feed the media. Sometimes the press gallery sings from the same GCPE-issued "choir sheet." Sometimes it doesn't. #bcpoli #cdnfoi Image
It's the 21st century. A digital world. So, a digital communications office that pushes the official @bcndp party line through social media, straight to your device. #bcpoli #cdnfoi Image
The #GCPE events office. Not very busy for much of 2020 (except when some took a break to join the election campaign). They set up photo ops, news conferences and @jjhorgan jet trips. #bcpoli #cdnfoi Image
One of the biggest offices in @bcndp #BCGov PR dept. is Media Monitoring. Eyes and ears of the government. The people who compile all the TV, radio, newspaper, website and social media mentions of the politicians and issues facing #bcgov, for an in-house newsletter. #bcpoli Image
B.C. is a multilingual province, so a multilingual services office at the government PR department. #bcpoli #cdnfoi Image
The climax! Every ministry has its own office. Biggest? @adriandix Ministry of Health PR, headed by @bcndp operative/lobbyist @jtferrier. Many reporters are frustrated with this office, for being secretive and slow. It really should be the opposite. #bcpoli #cdnfoi #covid19 Image

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More from @bobmackin

5 Nov
🧵#ThisIsWhyIFOI Remember Dr. Bonnie Henry at the @Canucks home opener? I asked @bcndp #bcgov under #FOI about who paid for the jersey and other expenses. Many readers wonder about the PHO attending such commercial events. #bcpoli #cdnfoi #FOIAFriday #SportsBiz #covid19 ImageImage
This morning, @bcndp #bcgov tells me it has rejected my #FOI request about Dr. Bonnie Henry at the @Canucks game, because she was allegedly there as a private citizen, not because she is the provincial health officer. Where have I seen that lame excuse before? 🤔#bcpoli #cdnfoi Image
Last year, Dr. Bonnie Henry co-authored a book with her sister. When I wanted to know about the contract and other details, I was told I couldn’t see them. The “private citizen” excuse was invoked. #bcpoli #cdnfoi #FOIAFriday
thebreaker.news/news/bonnie-bo…
Read 9 tweets
17 Jul
BREAKING!: Harsha "Burn It All Down" Walia has quit @BCCLA. #bcpoli #cdnpoli
Can't tell you what the reaction is from @harshawalia and whether she really jumped or was pushed out of the @bccla organization. #bcpoli #cdnpoli
Read 5 tweets
15 Jul
🧵@adriandix made Telus CEO Darren Entwistle a special advisor to @BC_EHS. Dix and Entwistle have a bond and Entwistle is one of B.C.’s top corporate minds. While other telecoms invested in media and sports, Telus went aggressively into healthcare. #bcpoli
The Telus 2020 annual report management discussion and analysis reveals how important the healthcare sector is to Telus. #bcpoli
Even more about Telus health from the 2020 MD&A. #bcpoli
Read 6 tweets
15 Jul
🌡🧵So there you have it. @drbonniehenry misled us again. I asked via #cdnFOI and the @bcndp Ministry of Health under @adriandix says it has no provincial government heat emergency plan. #bcpoli #FOIA @BCLiberalCaucus @BCGreens #heatdome #heatwave
That letter refers to a @CDCofBC 2017 publication, which shifts responsibility to the regional health boards and municipalities. #BCGov has a nuclear emergency response plan (among others), but no top-down plan for a heat emergency. #bcpoli #cdnfoi bccdc.ca/resource-galle…
Horgan, Henry and Dix fiddled while home burned #bcpoli #heatwave #heatdome thebreaker.news/opinion/while-…
Read 4 tweets
2 Jun
Just in: Federal/provincial/territorial information and privacy commissioners (including B.C.'s @McEvoy_Michael) call on governments to respect Canadians' quasi-constitutional rights to privacy and access to information. #bcpoli #cdnfoi #coronavirus #stateofemergency #righttoknow ImageImage
Here is the full resolution. But is it too little, too late? @BCInfoPrivacy has given @jjhorgan @bcndp too much freedom to trample on citizens' #FOIA rights, starting with the temporary March 18, 2020 disclosure holiday. #bcpoli #cdnfoi #coronavirus #stateofemergency ImageImage
Today's statement from information and privacy commissioners comes MORE THAN A YEAR after Canadian COVID-19 Accountability group, including @seanmholman, sounded the alarm.
The statutory watchdogs waited more than a year to speak as one. #bcpoli #cdnfoi
drive.google.com/file/d/1dpm3eQ…
Read 4 tweets
12 May
🧵Can we believe @bcndp pandemic data? #BCgov has under-tested and made #covid19 case/death reporting errors along the way. I wanted to know how many and whether they were corrected. This is about science and history. I filed an #cdnFOI request last July. #bcpoli #GiveUsData
I asked for B.C.-wide and health region correction and revision notices for March-July 2020. The original due date: Sept. 14. #bcpoli #cdnfoi #coronavirus #GiveUsData #FOIA Image
Instead of documents, I got a bill for $270. Less than two weeks before @jjhorgan took time off from the #coronavirus pandemic and called a very costly snap election. #bcpoli #cdnfoi #FOIA Image
Read 11 tweets

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