Pubdate: Tue, 06 Dec 2011
Source: Nanaimo Daily News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2011 Nanaimo Daily News
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/nanaimodailynews/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1608

DONNA ALLEN'S POSITION IS A PUZZLING ONE

Apparently, the most important issue for school trustee-elect Donna 
Allen is ensuring that all school board candidates undergo criminal 
record checks. It's so important to her, in fact, that she's refusing 
to be sworn in as a trustee unless the province changes the rules on this.

Allen's action seem to be a rather cynical stunt in an attempt to get 
her own way. And it's pricy one. A byelection to replace her will 
cost taxpayers about $100,000.

But what's particularly troubling is the fact that no one saw this 
coming. Reportedly, Allen's concerns stem from the election of Bill 
Bard as a trustee. In 2006, Bard was found guilty of the production 
of a controlled substance - marijuana - for the purpose of 
trafficking. He received a one year conditional sentence.

Allen has mentioned in the past her position that school board 
candidates should undergo a criminal record check. However, she never 
said she would refuse office if one of her fellow trustees had a 
criminal record.

Allen had a responsibility to inform the public during her election 
campaign that she would not be sworn in under this situation.

Surely she had made up her mind about this issue prior to deciding to 
run for office again. Allen has told local media that Bard's record 
was brought to her attention this fall. Yet she remained quiet on 
this issue, until now.

More than 7,400 people put their faith in Allen by voting for her.

Would they have done so knowing that she would abandon her elected 
office rather than work with someone with a criminal record? Would 
these same people be so keen to vote for her knowing she could cost 
an already financially strapped school district $100,000? Donna Allen 
broke these people's trust. She campaigned under the guise that she 
would work with her fellow trustees for the greater good of our 
children's education.

If she had told voters during her campaign that she may step aside if 
a candidate with a criminal record was elected, then we would see no 
dishonesty in her politics.

But she didn't. Allen essentially misled the public by not revealing 
her potential plans.

We're also puzzled about how Allen intends to lobby for this change. 
Being elected to a school board would put her in a strong position to 
have the province's ear on the criminal record-check issue. Wouldn't 
this be the most effective way to push for a legislative change? We'd 
certainly like to hear more details about how Allen will be pursuing 
her crusade to ensure school board candidates are subject to criminal 
record checks. Considering that her decision will likely cost the 
school district $100,000, we suspect that many voters would like to 
hear those details, too.

But this issue isn't just about the money that will be wasted, it's 
also about trust and transparency.

Although two completely different situations, Allen's decision is 
reminiscent of the B.C. Liberals not mentioning their plan to 
introduce the contentious Harmonized Sales Tax before the last 
election. The public was so out-raged by the Liberals' deceit that 
the HST was eventually scrapped after it was implemented.

Some people speculate that it wasn't the tax that voters hated, but 
the sneaky way that the provincial government brought it in. And just 
like the situation in our school district, the Liberals' lack of 
transparency ultimately resulted in wasted taxpayers' money. We're 
not saying that Donna Allen's quest to implement criminal record 
checks is a bad thing. But the way she's pursuing this agenda is.

Allen should apologize for wasting public money, and more 
importantly, for breaking the trust voters had placed in her.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom