Press gallery president Scott Sutherland joins B.C. public affairs bureau

The press gallery in Victoria isn't the most transparent organization in the province.

It has no Web site, which means it's impossible to go on-line and find a membership list or a copy of the constitution and by-laws.

I thought I would try to find this information by contacting the president. But I've just been informed that the man who was president, Canadian Press reporter Scott Sutherland, has joined the B.C. Liberal government's public affairs bureau.

The B.C. government's directory shows him working both sides of the fence simultaneously, but that's only because the directory hasn't been updated to show that Sutherland has left journalism.

If there's a current president, could he or she please e-mail me the membership list, a copy of the constitution, and the by-laws, if they exist? This information could be sent to contact@straight.com.

I'm interested in this issue because two prominent  members of the press gallery—Vaughn Palmer and Keith Baldrey—will speak at the annual general meeting of the B.C. Chamber of Commerce in late May.

The chamber's president, John Winter, is fronting for a Coalition of B.C. Businesses-created election advertising sponsor, which is vigorously promoting the B.C. Liberals.

I would like to know if Winter is paying Palmer and Baldrey to speak. And if so, how much? And, I might add, I'm interested in knowing if the press gallery has any rules about members accepting payments from business associations. Hence, my desire to see a copy of the membership list, the constitution, and by-laws.

Sutherland isn't the first member of the press gallery to jump to the other side. During the latter days of the Bill Vander Zalm regime, BCTV reporter Eli Sopow quit his media job to become a spin doctor for the premier.

CBC reporter Andy Orr also quit to become then-premier Mike Harcourt's press secretary. Later, Orr joined the B.C. Liberal government to head the public affairs bureau.