Leaked Liberal documents reveal widespread ethnic vote plan

VICTORIA – Leaked Liberal documents reveal a wide-ranging plan orchestrated by senior officials in Premier Christy Clark’s office to win ethnic votes in the upcoming British Columbia election.

The January 2012 documents released today by the Opposition NDP outline a proposed ethnic outreach plan involving the premier’s office, the Multiculturalism Ministry, the government caucus and B.C. Liberal Party.

NDP House Leader John Horgan says building support in ethnic communities is a laudable for all governments, but the documents indicate election-related planning was to be conducted out of the premier’s office, with the use of government resources.

Multiculturalism Minister John Yap says the plan is more than a year old and does not completely portray the government’s plans for engaging with ethnic communities.

The documents state the strategic objective of the plan is to ensure government, the Liberal caucus and Liberal Party are all working together in a co-ordinated manner.

The documents call for the development of the most comprehensive and complete lists of ethnic voter connections to allow the government to bypass media to get out its messages for the May 14 election.