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Kwantlen Polytechnic University Paid Liberal-Friendly Lobbyist $177,000 To Boost School: NDP

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 23 Feb, 2015 05:26 PM

VICTORIA — B.C.'s New Democrats say documents reveal Kwantlen Polytechnic University paid a Liberal-connected lobbyist $177,000 to build relationships with the Liberal government.

NDP advanced education critic Kathy Corrigan says the documents obtained through freedom of information suggest the university wasted money it could have spent on students.

She says former advanced education minister Amrik Virk was serving as a volunteer board member at the university when Kwantlen hired a lobbyist from the Bluestone Group in 2009.

Mark Jiles says in the documents that he will attempt to build relationships with key Liberals, including former advanced education minister Moira Stilwell, former health minister Kevin Falcon and former finance minister Colin Hansen.

The documents reveal Kwantlen paid Bluestone $5,000 a month from 2009 to 2013.

Virk was shuffled from his advanced education cabinet post last year after questions were raised about his role in university hiring practices.

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