Vernon's mayor says he's accepting Olympic hockey tickets from the BC Lottery Corp, to help the city, not because he's a hockey fan. Wayne Lippert faced media questions Monday about the $280 dollar gift pair of tickets to see Germany play Sweden next Wednesday. Lippert says there will be opportunities to promote Vernon to European visitors during the game. "I'm not that big a hockey fan, so it's not that important for me to go there, but I'm going to be down there anyways, and on that grand market because its Germany and Sweden, we're looking into the European markets and (attracting) corporate visitors, and that's likely who's going to be there." Lippert says he's not making a special trip to Vancouver as he'll be there for an economic development conference the next day. "It's a business opportunity. It's not to go have fun at a hockey game. I'd have as much fun or more just going to watch the (Vernon) Vipers."
Lippert says the gift is not illegal--as Chilliwack's mayor has suggested--as long as he declares it. "Any gifts that we get that are over $250, then we need to declare it so it's out there for people to see." The issue was not raised during Monday's council meeting but Councillor Bob Spiers stated in the media earlier he would not have taken the tickets given that the Lottery Corp is using tax dollars to buy them, funds that should be used to help community groups.
1 comment:
Teeheehee.
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