A taste of $5,000 donors
David Wylie - Feb 07, 2017 - BC Biz

Photo: Nicholas Johansen

B.C. Premier Christy Clark has staunchly refused to disclose who was paying $5,000 a plate to meet with her privately at a West Kelowna winery last month.

However, the latest donation disclosure by the BC Liberal Party may provide at least a taste of those shelling out the kind of dough needed for a spot at the table.

Four companies gave exactly $5,000 in the most recent disclosure, from Jan. 20-26:

  • Coastal Gas Link Pipeline West Coast BC Limited Partnership
  • Interfor Corporation
  • FortisBC Energy Inc.
  • JDS Energy & Mining, Inc.

It’s unclear whether those donations bought a ticket to the Jan. 26 event at Mission Hill Winery, despite Clark’s assertion that it would be clear who attended.

Clark faced questions about the affair at a much more affordable $28-a-plate breakfast in her West Kelowna riding the following day. She cited the BC Liberal Party’s real-time reporting of political donations in defence of the “cash-for-access” fundraising.

“You will see in a number of weeks exactly who was there and who donated, that’s the point of the real-time reporting,” Clark said following the West Kelowna Board of Trade breakfast.

Filtering through the real-time disclosure information doesn’t confirm who was in attendance at the $5,000 meal.


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