The NDP have more leaked emails from a committee examining the future of the aging Burnaby hospital that seem to show the group's members are not focused on health care but are instead playing politics.
Health critic Mike Farnworth says the title of the email, from a committee stacked with BC Liberal MLA's, party members, and insiders, says it all.
'The issue we can win Burnaby-Deer Lake on, Re-win Burnaby North, and Lougheed. - Will also help in Fairview and Fraser view'
Farnworth says the shine is now off the so called citizens committee who are supposed to looking at improvements to the hospital.
He reads from the email "This is the really telling part. This would keep the issue ours without committing dollars and buy us time to do some polling and confirm that this is a winning issue."
The leaked email has three themes.
One, it is the hospital Premier Christy Clark grew up in. This is mentioned several times including in large bold font underlined for emphasis.
Two, Burnaby hospital can be used as an issue to win Burnaby North and several adjacent or nearby ridings.
Three, how to stay ahead of the NDP and keep the hospital as an issue out of the hands of Burnaby mayor Derek Corrigan and his wife NDP MLA Kathy Corrigan.
Farnworth says it is dirty pool.
"And the whole series of this email outlines what the situation is, what their challenge is in terms of a timeline, and how they are going to put it together, and how they are even going to put two potential Liberal candidates for that riding in the next election on the committee to give them exposure it really is unbelievably cynical."
Farnworth says it shows decisions are not being made with health care and the needs of the people as a top priority but instead are being done by putting political interests first.
Farnworth reads more from the email "PCC, which is Premier Christy Clark, Richard Lee, Harry Bloy, to tour the Burnaby hospital ASAP and do press conference after to announce that PCC will rebuild Burnaby hospital or look into what the community wants."
For her part BC's Health Minister seems to be saying never mind the emails, focus on the process, when she was asked about the latest leaked email from the committee studying Burnaby hospital.
MacDiarmid admits there are BC Liberal supporters on the committee.
"But they are also really strong supporters of the Burnaby hospital I think it cuts across politcal party's these people happen to be BC Liberals."
When the line "This would keep the issue ours without committing dollars and buy us time to do some polling and confirm that this is a winning issue." was read to her MacDiarmid admitted "You know that it is tough for me to hear that because it is not at all the way that I think."
But MacDiarmid says it still doesn't taint the process.
"No question about it, it was very partisan but if you look at the actual process the people that got together in this citizens sort of engagement it was the people it was the community of Burnaby. It was open to everyone. I haven't seen the report that will come from this process I expect to get it fairly soon. I have said before I absolutely will make it public."
MacDiarmid says she is also unwilling to throw the report out or discount it outright.
"I want to read that report. Once it is out and it is public I mean people can decide for themselves but I certainly would never want to dismiss that report when I literally I haven't read one word of it yet."
She says politics should not be top priority in making decisions.
"If your listeners would say hospitals, and schools, and other capital investments should not be decided based on politics, I 100% agree with that."
The email was written by three committee members all with ties to the BC Liberals.
Mark Robertson is the party's director of field operations.
Pamela Gardner is a former riding president for the Liberals.
While Brian Bonney is a current communications director within government and has in the past worked for the Liberals.