The Plecas Affair

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Postby Jack Bennest » Thu May 18, 2006 10:11 pm

April19. 2006

Dear Bob,

Your version of my leaving office is wrong in virtually every aspect and I must set the record straight. If you relied on Bill or Bud?s recollections they were simply wrong. The problem is that the man in the middle who brokered my leaving caucus some weeks after I resigned my portfolio, was Hugh Harris, now sadly gone. Here?s what happened in two stages.

Stage 1. In between Christmas and New Years 1980, after a couple of weeks negotiation, I received and accepted an offer to take a talk show post at CJOR. As soon as I had shaken hands on the deal I called Bill in Westbank and told him. This would have been between Christmas and New Years. Bill was quite upset and offered to come to Victoria and meet me, which he did. Because out of deference to his Dad Bill had no liquor in his office, we repaired to my office because I did. We talked for an hour or so and Bill was keen to learn whether I was going to resign my seat. I told him ?no? because it was not my intention to resign. We agreed to hold a Press Conference during the next cabinet meeting, a week later, Bill told my colleagues and we held joint press conference where it was made very clear, by me, that I expected to be able to hold down both jobs.

I told Bill immediately because I knew he would want a new Health Minister up to speed before the Legislature resumed in March.

That was the end of Stage 1.

Stage 2. After perhaps 6 weeks, and after attending caucus meetings when called, and after talking to a number of media people, I began to doubt that I could indeed be an MLA and a commentator on government affairs. Moreover, I began to realize that because the House sat on Friday mornings I would have to miss 1/5 of the sessions. I wrote a letter, in handwriting, telling Bill that under the circumstances I proposed resigning my seat. This would have been in late January. He was very distressed because we only had a 5 seat majority and by-elections don?t usually go well for governments, He asked me to hold any decision until I had talked to Hugh Harris, and of course I agreed.

Let me stop here to say I knew well what my resignation would do ? and you are wrong here on the law and practice. Within 6 months of a seat becoming open, a date for a by-election must be declared and the writ issued. This is an important point for it gave Bill almost 8 months before the actual election day. And, the Socreds retained the seat.

Hugh and I met at my house in Victoria and we talked until at least 2:00AM. Hugh was to stay with us but I was surprised to see a note from him the next morning saying that he had decided to start out for his home in Kelowna and in his note he said, in effect. ?I agree that you must resign for the reasons you have given and I will advise the Premier accordingly.? This he did and a few days later, in Kamloops, I stated that was my intention.

... I?m not angry, Bob, but disappointed you didn?t ask me. The record now shows something quite different than what was the case and implies that I was either uncaring or stupid ? neither of which is the case.

The foregoing dates are an approximation but the newspapers would show the precise days.


Plecas wrote a Book on Bill Bennett - called Bill Bennett - strange is it not.

Rafe has taken exception to how he is portrayed.
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