THE BC Liberals said on Sunday that as BC taxpayers were paying Nathan Cullen $250 an hour through a sole-sourced NDP government contract, he was meticulously expensing sushi and beer as expenses.
They said that this latest revelation comes after Cullen was forced to apologize for offensive comments about First Nation leader Roy Jones Jr. and follows on John Horgan breaking the NDP’s diversity rules by rejecting Indigenous leader Annita McPhee to provide the NDP candidacy to his buddy.
“I know John Horgan likes to have a beer with a guy, but he should use his own money for that,” said BC Liberal candidate Mary Polak. “It’s outrageous that someone who is making two grand a day is then tagging taxpayers for his beers. This is a pattern where the NDP say they’re helping someone and it turns out they’re only helping themselves.”
According to the BC Liberals, Cullen claimed $2,550.02 in expenses between January 24 and February 6, 2020, including receipts that show:
- January 24, 2020: Sushi dinner ($73.50)
- January 31, 2020: 2 pints of Last Cast, 1 pint ISA, and 2 fried chicken servings (Alcohol total $25.50; Meal total $81.83)
- February 2, 2020: 1 pint Blacksmith, 1 pint Last Cast (Alcohol total $17.00; Dinner total $152.90)
- February 4, 2020: 1 6 oz Peller Merlot, 2 Pints Smithers Brown, 1 6 oz O Clock Cab Sav (Alcohol total $33.55; Dinner total $141.91)
“It seems John Horgan was making sure Nathan Cullen was well cared for while waiting for a snap provincial election,” said Polak “John Horgan paid him $2,000 a day, fed him, broke the party rules to hand Cullen the nomination over an accomplished Indigenous woman and stood by as Cullen mocked First Nations when he thought the mic was off. First Nations leaders are demanding a response and John Horgan remains silent.”
Recently, Nathan Cullen was paid $104,523.57 by the BC Government on contract with the B.C. Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation to represent the Province in mediating issues involving the Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs. Nathan Cullen was in a position of high trust. He has now betrayed that trust and is no longer fit to hold elected office. John Horgan should do the right thing and ask for Cullen’s resignation.