THE PROVINCIAL government is too embarrassed to face British Columbians over its ‘‘colossal abuse’’ of taxpayers’ West Vancouver-Garibaldi money, acks opinion poll funding as ‘colossal abuse’ Mitcheil chastizes zov’t for use of taxpayers’ money | independent MLA David Mitchell has charged. the NDP on Mitchell attacked government’s expenditures puitic opinion polls. Mitchell recently revealed documents that show the. provin- cial government has spent more than $5.3 million on public opi- nion -polls during its first 21 months in office. ‘Mitchell also showed that most of the polling: contracts awarded by the government went to com- panies with NDP connections. He questioned why no. cabinet minister.has publicly responded to the information that has been released. ““Where’s Anne Edwards, whose energy ministry has spent over $300,000? Where is Bill Barlee (agriculture minister), whose ministry approved nearly $240,000 in polling?’’ Mitchell asked. The West Vancouver MLA said it‘took him nearly one year using the Freedom of Infonnation Act to obtain the information, on polling costs from the provincial government. “There’s no disclosure. They’re very secretive. For a year now they’ ve been preventing me from getting this information,’’ said Mitchell. He also - noted that Premier Mike Harcourt announced in November 1992 that the results of polling conducted at taxpayers’ — pamerte '93 SUNBIRD 25.98 Automatic & air “cond, a NEW '93 CMG: 3/4 ton pick-up '93 SAFARI Ext. passenger van '93 VANDURA 3/4 ton PONTIAC BUICK GMC 2595 Barnet Highwey Coquitiam, B. C. 464-3947 535-0d03, By Surj Rattan News Reporter expense would be released six weeks after the polling was com- pleted. According. to Mitchell’s infor- maiion, government ministries Spent a total of $1,828,429 on public opinion polls between Nov. 5, 1991, and Aug. 30, 1993, while Crown corporations spent $3,521,387 on polls during that same time. The biggest ministerial spenders, . said Mitchell, are the Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources Ministry, which spent $317,346 on polls,and the Tourism and Culture Ministry which spent $239,210. The biggest Crown corporation spenders were B.C. Hydro, which used $1,248,500 of taxpayers’ dollars on polling, followed by the Insurance Corp. of B.C., which spent $997,658 on polls. Here Special Thanks to: checkpaini YMA a Liberal Mitchell also said the largest government polling contracts went to Viewpoints Research Ltd., which was awarded $655,793 in government contracts. Next on the list was MarkTrend Research, which received $563,581 in con- tracts. Mitchell also demanded that the provincial government explain what the impact of the polling costs of B.C. Hydro and ICBC will be on Hydro bills and ICBC premiums, ‘‘We are now witnessing a gov- ernment that has retracted into a protective shell, hiding bchind faceless bureaucrats, ashamed of their own record. It’s pathetic,’’ said Mitchell. He said that what he finds most disturbing is the NDP govern- ment’s practice of awarding poll- ing contracts to its friends and supporters, “The NDP campaigned in the last election on the promise of an open tendering process. Instead, they consistently bestow generous contracts to NDP insiders without seeking | either value or quality for money spent,”’ said Mitchell. NEWS photo DOCUMENTS REVEALED by West. Vancouver-Garibaidi MLA David Mitchell showed that most of the polling contracts awarded by the government went to companies with NDP connectio.s. Comes Santa Racoon! It’s really Lynn Valley Centre’s mascot Billy Ray Coon disguised as Santa. Come help children’s entertainer, Joey Hanlon, welcome the REAL Santa Claus at Lynn Valley Centre on Saturday, November 27th, at 11:00 a.m. Bring your kids in to meet Santa Claus and his pal Santa Racoon and while you're here receive a free Santa Photo which your kids can frame between 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. at our Culture Talks Art Workshop. We hope you can make it ... we'd love to see your kids get framed! PS Don't forget that photos with Santa are free at Lynn Valley Centre from November 27th to Christmas. Convenient Late Night Christmas Shopping starts on December Ist.