So you want to throw a party to properly mark the sa国际传媒 Liberals鈥� miraculous comeback win and introduce the new cabinet at the start of the glorious fourth term?
And you鈥檙e wondering if it should be at Government House in Victoria, as nearly every cabinet swearing-in has been for the last 150 years?
No way. No how.
You try inviting 1,800 sa国际传媒 Liberal guests to a bash in a city where the nearest Liberal MLA is 150 kilometres away. They just wouldn鈥檛 feel comfortable. It would be like San Francisco fans trying to enjoy the playoff game in Seattle this weekend.
And Premier Christy Clark was already on record expressing distaste for the 鈥渟ick culture鈥� in the capital鈥檚 political hub, which she feels better avoiding.
So, 1,800 people at Government House? Forget about it.
You鈥檇 have to bus everyone to Royal Athletic Park. And people would complain about the buses. (That鈥檚 what we do here.)
Standing around a pokey old ballpark eating hotdogs and lining up for beer is no way to celebrate.
Which brings us to the $2,948 worth of Pan-Seared Spicy Prawns Crostini served up at the cabinet-naming ceremony in Vancouver last June.
And the $3,300 worth of Maple-Smoked Sablefish Skewers. And the $4,950 worth of Fresh Maki Sushi (鈥渟erved on Lacquered Trays鈥�).
The itemized bills were posted on a government website last week in response to a request from unidentified media. (Good on them for asking.)
And a perusal of all the bills is an uncomfortable lesson for sleepy little Victoria in how to throw a party.
Can Victoria chefs turn out $2,814 worth of Prosciutto and Asparagus with White Truffle Oil?
Maybe. But they probably tasted a lot better in Vancouver, where it wasn鈥檛 raining 鈥� for a change 鈥� and where the political ambience was more conducive to partying. The cheese plate alone would have been worth attending. 鈥淎ged cheddars, Emmethaler, Brie, Okanagan Ch猫vre and Qu茅b茅cois Artisanal Cheeses served with Walnut Baguette,鈥� for $6,600.
Before taxpayers blow a gasket, it should be stressed that corporate donations covered the entire bill, except for staff costs.
The government produced a list earlier in response to a request from Vancouver reporter Bob Mackin of 20 individuals, groups and businesses that contributed between $2,500 and $25,000, to a total of $120,000.
They pretty much had to, given the welcome message the premier wrote on the first page of the program handed out to guests. 鈥淥ur focus will be to 鈥� keep life affordable for families by controlling spending.鈥�
It鈥檚 the first time a cabinet event of that sort was sponsored. Leaving aside the awkward appearance (鈥淭his government brought to you by the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers鈥�), it鈥檚 obviously the way to go. With that kind of bankroll, you can throw a party that leaves the usual Government House gathering of a few hundred invitees far behind.
The new cabinet ministers were announced at the Vancouver bash and showed up at Government House a few days later to be formally sworn in. But it was a pale imitation.
There were no Bocconcini and Cherry Tomato Caprese Skewers ($2,680) that I could find.
I went to an after-party following that rather humdrum affair and the menu consisted of a six-inch meatball sub and a can of pop, which I paid for myself, since I was the only person at the party.
The message is clear: The capital has to raise its game.
Just So You Know: On the subject of event planning, the anniversary of Sir Winston Churchill鈥檚 death on Jan. 24, 1965, is approaching and readers are warmly invited to mark the occasion.
For years, a hardy group of admirers have marked his passing by visiting the tree he planted in Beacon Hill Park during a visit to Victoria in 1929.
This year鈥檚 event is set for this Sunday, Jan. 19 at 2 p.m., in the Mayor鈥檚 Grove at the foot of Quadra Street.
There will be brief but stirring speeches, a free raffle of Churchill books and a champagne toast to the great man鈥檚 memory.
