XPost: bc.politics, van.general, vic.general   
   From: ConsRcons@cda.ca   
      
   CBC News  - Mar 3, 2013   
      
   B.C. Liberals emergency cabinet meeting underway   
   Emergency meeting called over 'ethnic vote' scandal   
      
      
   Grits grapple with resignations amid 'ethnic vote' conflict   
      
   Chinese community outraged at Liberal 'ethnic vote' plan   
      
      
   Eighteen Liberal cabinet ministers have gathered to meet with Premier   
   Christy Clark at an emergency cabinet meeting in Vancouver.   
      
   The embattled B.C. premier is expected to make a statement to the media   
   after the meeting, which is expected to last a few hours.   
      
   Clark called the meeting so she could speak to her team for the first   
   time since a scandal erupted over a leaked plan to woo ethnic voters.   
      
   Some Liberal caucus members have resigned and openly criticized Clark   
   over the proposed strategy. On Friday the premier was forced to accept   
   the resignation of her deputy chief of staff, Kim Haakstad.   
      
   More than 100 B.C. Liberal party members called for the resignation of   
   embattled B.C. Premier Christy Clark at a breakfast meeting in Surrey   
   Sunday morning.   
      
   Members at the meeting said Clark must resign in order for the party to   
   stage a comeback in time for the May provincial election.   
      
   "She must step forward, show her leadership qualities and resign," said   
   Vikram Bajwa, a former mayoral candidate in Surrey who attended the   
   Sunday morning meeting.   
      
   But on Sunday, some Liberals arriving at the emergency cabinet meeting   
   said they still support the premier.   
      
   "I'm not going to run with anybody but Christy Clark," said Bill   
   Bennett, MLA for Kootenay East.   
      
   The leaked documents were written by Haakstad in January 2012, urging   
   the Liberals to co-ordinate resources – including some funded by   
   taxpayers – to focus on winning over ethnic voters. It was leaked last   
   week by the NDP.   
      
   Clark issued a letter of apology which was read during question period   
   on Thursday but she herself wasn't in the house.   
      
   Sunday's emergency meeting in Vancouver will be her first chance to   
   clear the air with her cabinet before the legislature resumes Monday.   
      
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