EDITOR,
Re. "Veniez drops lawsuit vs. Weston," Chief, May 24.
Isn't it nice that Mr. Weston, Conservative MP, apologied to Mr. Dan Veniez, Liberal candidate, for information distributed by his campaign workers during the 2011 election campaign. He said that he had no knowledge of any of this. Well now.
Looking at my 2011 calendar I see that Mr. Weston had several occasions on which to apologize well before election day of May 2, 2011.
I was the NDP candidate and I remember all too clearly the shock and embarrassment of Mr. Veniez's wife when this "information" came out during the April 17 all-candidates' meeting at Kay Meek Centre. She looked mortified. Mr. Weston fed on that information. If he wanted to apologize, he should have done it on one of the following occasions: April 18 there were two all-candidates' meetings on the Sunshine Coast; April 26 we had one in Powell River; April 28 there was an opportunity at a smaller venue in Sechelt and on April 27 and 29 we all met in front of the North Shore Iranian community lots of opportunity to apologize.
I received email after email from Mr. Weston's campaign workers denouncing Mr. Veniez, even getting one on Sunday, May 1, the day before E-day.
I must agree with Mr. Veniez about politicians "able to get away with issuing an apology a year after the damage is done." Once again we have an example of a government (and its representatives) only doing the right thing when forced to by a court (or threat of) law.
I am quoting my mother, who got it from my great-grandmother: "Do the right thing and you'll never go wrong." The right time to have done the right thing was right after the wrong had been done.
Terry Platt
2011 Federal NDP Candidate
West Vancouver
