DEAR EDITOR:
While reading Judy Darcy's letter in your July 8 edition (re: HST bad for business, Letters to the Editor, The Record) I was struck not by her letter's blatant inaccuracies and misleading statements about the HST, but rather by who Judy Darcy is.
Judy Darcy's name is well known in B.C. She was president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) from 1991-2003 and is currently the chief negotiator for the Hospital Employees' Union (HEU).
Now, of course, it is possible that two people in B.C. could have the same name. But it would be very coincidental indeed if both were so ideologically committed to publicly spreading the same deceptive NDP talking-points on the HST.
So I have to conclude that the Judy Darcy who authored the letter in your paper is undoubtedly the Judy Darcy from the HEU and CUPE, and point out she has neglected to disclose that she is an official representative of a powerful special interest organization.
Unfortunately, failing to disclose special interest affiliations does not seem to be uncommon among NDP functionaries.
For example, it was only a few months back when we saw NDP MLA Dawn Black's son, David Black, who is president of the powerful COPE 378 union, writing to the Record to rail against those who were pointing to a conflict of interest for one of the school board's labour-backed trustees related to the banning of bottled water.
That trustee was failing to disclose that her employer, CUPE B.C., had a defined position on the banning of bottled water.
The school trustee in question is also a COPE 378 member represented by the union David Black is president of; a very significant fact that David Black should have disclosed in his letter.
No matter what your opinion is on any of these matters, one has to admit there is a very disturbing pattern developing here: Official representatives of major labour groups and the NDP are speaking on issues without disclosing that they are professionals charged with taking a specific position on behalf of the special interests they represent.
As I have written before, it's time people break free of special interest spin and got the facts about the HST.
I urge my fellow citizens in New Westminster to educate themselves on this important matter, understand that 140 nations (including the top 34 economies), farmers, loggers, miners, retailers, service providers, the CAW's chief economist, the B.C. Green Party and every creditable expert on tax and economic matters have all come to the same conclusion - the HST is good for jobs, our economy and our families, plus, going back would trigger untold damage to our province, especially given continuing global economic uncertainty.
For the record: My name is Hector Bremner. I am a small business owner and New Westminster resident.
I am also a B.C. Liberal Party member and vice-president of the party's local constituency association.
I challenge Ms. Darcy, Mr. Black and any others to be as open as I am about their identities whenever their special interest affiliations are clearly relevant to the discussion.
The public deserves to know this information and to not be deceived.
Hector Bremner, vice-president, New Westminster B.C. Liberal
Constituency Association
