B.C. Liberal MLA apologizes, retracts accusations against Dix

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In a voice barely audible, Liberal MLA Harry Bloy retracted his accusations of fraud and theft against New Democratic Party Leader Adrian Dix on Monday.

But with two intense by-election campaigns nearing the finish line, top B.C. Liberals offered only a muffled rebuke to the over-the-top commentary – which included raising the question of whether Mr. Dix could have pinched an engagement ring for his wife.

Mr. Bloy, who recently was forced to resign from cabinet for leaking a confidential e-mail, veered into the innuendo-laden attack on the Opposition Leader on Monday morning when he was supposed to be debating smart meters.

"It makes me wonder how the leader of the opposition can steal from the public," Mr. Bloy told the House, an apparent reference to Mr. Dix getting caught last month riding public transit without a fare receipt.

A warning by the deputy speaker didn't slow Mr. Bloy down: "I wonder about the leader of the opposition stealing from the public, fraud – I wonder how he proposed to his wife? Is he like his good friend Svend Robinson? I wonder how he did that."

Mr. Robinson, the former MP for Burnaby, resigned in disgrace after he was caught slipping a $64,000 engagement ring into his pocket.

Mr. Bloy was hauled into government House Leader Rich Coleman's office before he returned to the House to offer a brief apology. But Mr. Coleman said such remarks are part of the heat of debate.

"Quite frankly there are issues that go back and forth with Adrian's history and public life," Mr. Coleman added, "and those are for public debate – but I'm not getting into that."

Kevin Falcon, the deputy premier, said he hadn't heard the remarks but called Mr. Dix's past fair game. "I don't believe nasty is necessary, but I do believe truthful and forthright is important because what we can't do, is allow the mistakes of the past to be covered up."

John Horgan, the NDP House Leader, said Mr. Bloy's apology is hollow because B.C. Liberals have set the tone with their aggressive attacks on Mr. Dix.

"It's a pattern of behaviour that the Premier is leading. As disappointing and tepid as Mr. Bloy's apology was, I would hope the Premier would have something to say about this when she returns to the capital."

When Mr. Bloy resigned from cabinet in March, Premier Christy Clark used the incident to attack Mr. Dix for backdating a memo when he was an aide in the NDP premier's office in the 1990s. Ms. Clark said at the time that Mr. Bloy "did the right thing. … He did not forge a memo in an effort to try and derail an RCMP criminal investigation."

The B.C. Liberals are using the transit ticket incident in by-election campaign leaflets: "NDP leader Adrian Dix tried to hide his fare evasion but the police caught him red-handed," the leaflets state. "If he can't be trusted to pay for transit, how can you trust him with your vote."