Teachers have no plan for strike vote

I've about had it with Canwest Global & the BC Liberals
ridiculous scare tactics. This can only be interpreted
as serious fear and concern on the part of the Liberals of
how well the NDP are doing in the polls and in public opinion.

I only wonder why these people got into journalism in the
first place. Surely they wanted to provide the people with
truth, or at least an unbiased telling of the truths of different
sides. When did big media get into bed with political parties?
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Pat Martens. CanWest, and the Death of Journalism.
Adbusters Magazine.
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For the record: Teachers have no plan for strike vote:
Liberals play politics of fear with students and parents

Contrary to reports on BCTV Global last evening and
in today's Vancouver Sun, B.C. teachers have no plan
for a strike vote. BCTF President Jinny Sims said she
wants to assure parents that there is absolutely no
plan for any disruption in the school year.

"It is unconscionable for Premier Campbell to claim
that there are plans for a school strike only weeks
before provincial exams and days after the election,
" Sims said.

"It is outrageous that the premier would tell such
blatant lies to the electorate," Sims added. "This
is nothing less than fear-mongering. It is a disturbing
act of desperation from a government that has failed
our students and therefore needs to deflect scrutiny
of its record."

Sims said there is evidence that the B.C. Liberals
had insider knowledge of The Vancouver Sun's page-one
story this morning.

"Open the paper on any day of the week, and you can
clearly see the close connections between Sun management
and the Liberal party," Sims said. "But today we received
a copy of an e-mail that proves Liberal party insiders
had advance notice of today's front page story, and
which reveals their true intention of using the issue
of teacher bargaining to divide the public and
needlessly alarm parents."

The e-mail from Irene Barr, president of the B.C. Liberal
Women's Commission, stated that she had learned that the
front page would feature a story about teachers planning
a strike vote shortly after the election.

Barr wrote: "This is a GREAT issue for us to have our
supporters rise up on to say NO MORE! Again, this is a
tremendous wedge issue being handed to us on a silver
platter!"

Sims said she was particularly shocked to note that
the e-mail was sent at 1:50 a.m. long before The Sun
hits the newstands or doorsteps. "One wonders how a
party functionary would have advance notice of the
newspaper's content unless there is active collusion
between CanWest and the Liberals," Sims said.

Sims called on Sun publisher Dennis Skulsky to
explain this apparent breach of journalistic integrity.
And she appealed to Gordon Campbell to stop spreading
falsehoods and fear about an imaginary teacher strike.

"What we've seen today from the premier is exactly
the sort of acrimonious politics that British Columbians
reject," Sims said. "This government is unable to defend
its record on education, and so they are lashing out at
teachers. It's not right and it won't work."

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From the Gazetteer:

"This is a totally manufactured issue."
Rod Mickleburgh, May 14, 2005 on CBC's 28 Days.