Two Vancouver lawyers have filed a lawsuit against the B.C. government for allegedly misusing tax money.
The civil claim — filed Monday morning by David Fai and Paul Doroshenko — alleges the government broke the law by spending as much as $15 million a year ago to “enhance the image of the governing BC Liberal party.”
“We are seeking that the money being spent by the government on non-essential advertisement be reimbursed to the government coffers,” said Doroshenko. “We look at all these advertisements that the government is running right now as breach of the obligation the government has to spend money for the benefit of British Columbians.”
“They are not spending it for the benefit of British Columbians, they are spending it for the benefit of the BC Liberal Party.”
Lawyers argue ads are a breach of trust
Doroshenko says he is also trying to get an order to stop the government from running any non-essential advertising before the May 9 provincial election.
As to what law the government has actually broken, Doroshenko argues the province has a legal obligation to collect tax money and spend tax money for the benefit of the citizens.
“If they are not spending it for the benefit of British Columbians that is the breach of the fiduciary duty, it is a breach of trust,” said Doroshenko. “It’s a level of arrogance that is astonishing to us.”
Read the interview with Paul Doroshenko on CBC:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/b-c-government-sued-over-use-of-taxpayer-funded-advertising-1.4032946