Ex-B.C. Liberal speculates we may never know who was ultimately responsible for the "quick wins" plan

The former vice president for the Liberal’s Surrey-Tynehead constituency has written a blog post suggesting that the public may never learn who the lead was on a cynical plan to attract non-white voters ahead of a May election.

In his first written statement since announcing that he was leaving the Liberal Party, James Plett criticized Premier Christy Clark’s appointment of her deputy chief of staff to head an investigation into the matter.

“While most reasonable people can safely assume John Dyble’s “investigation” (in that Dyble has no legal authority to demand answers from those involved, nor e-mails for that matter, and in that Dyble is clearly in a conflict of interest having to investigate his co-workers — no, that absurdity is probably a tale for another time) we won’t find anything out, it is a very serious question,” Plett wrote.

“Premier Clark doesn’t really want us to have answers,” he continues, “and some of her cronies in cabinet and in caucus seem to have embraced “loose lips sink ships” (ignoring, of course, that a very high-level staffer leaked the original memo in the first place and ignoring the fact that the S. S. Today’s BC Liberals is sinking like a bag of bricks), so we, the taxpayers, the public, the people writing their paycheques are left kind of powerless.”

The premier’s deputy chief of staff, Kim Haakstad, resigned on March 1. On March 4, John Yap, then-B.C. minister responsible for multiculturalism, removed himself from Clark’s cabinet pending the completion of Dyble's investigation. (In Plett's blog post, he heaps praise on Yap, and notes that Yap did not hold the position multiculturalism minister at the time the "Multiculturalism Strategy" was drafted.)

Haakstad is listed as the author of the "quick wins" email. Names in that message's recepients field include Pamela Martin, Fiera Lo, Brian Bonney, and Lorne Mayencourt, among others.

 Yesterday, I joked with Plett that it was looking like he wasn’t exactly rooting for the Liberal’s to make it to the election.

 “Absolutely not,” he answered. “I think it’s time for a change.”

 Plett also said that he has been approached by the B.C. New Democrats, Greens, and Conservatives, but has so-far declined all offers.

 “I’ve gone solo,” he added. “I’m a fairly moderate voter, and I don’t think any party represents the moderate anymore.”

You can follow Travis Lupick on Twitter at twitter.com/tlupick.