Dear editor,
Questions have arisen on the campaign trail about the appointment of Bruce Carson as a senior adviser to the prime minister's office. The issue surfaced after a report by APTN alleged the former adviser to the prime minister had been lobbying the government to sell water filtration systems to First Nations. The accountability act forbids lobbying for five years by former political staff and Mr. Carson had left the prime minister's office in 2008.
It was reported that Bruce Carson had met with the Department of Indian Affairs in January 2011 and (Vancouver Island North MP John) Duncan's spokesperson Michelle Yao said in an e-mail,
"Staff provided publicly available information to Bruce Carson and recommended he work directly with First Nations."
My question is this — Canadian Press has also reported that Carson met with officials in the office of Indian Affairs Minister John Duncan four times between September to December 2010.
Why was there a total of five meetings if the only information offered was publicly available information? What was discussed at the other four meetings?
Maureen Haslehurst,
Comox