Quiet and Ben Meisner are not concepts easily reconciled.
For decades as a Prince George radio personality, Meisner was not shy about exposing other people's business.
Now the shoe is on the other foot and Meisner's mouth is closed.
Both the provincial government and local media personality Meisner are keeping quiet on whether he disclosed his track record in civil court actions to an office charged with recommending appointments to the B.C. Law Society's board of governors.
Meisner, who was appointed to the board on June 1, was required to complete a "candidate profile and declaration" in which he was asked if he had "been involved in any issue or controversy that has gone, or is likely to go to litigation or public review?"
In answer to a freedom of information request from the Citizen, the provincial government provided a copy of Meisner's declaration with all the answers blanked out. It cited section 22 of the freedom of information and protection of privacy legislation which allows information to be withheld if it's deemed harmful to personal privacy as the reason.
Court records name Meisner a defendant in four B.C. Supreme Court civil matters dating between November 1984 and December 1997. Reasons for judgment on three of them could not be found but one is posted on the province's court service website for a defamation suit launched by then MLA Paul Ramsey in December 1997 over a quote that was taken out of context. It ended in Meisner and his employer at the time, CKPG, being ordered to pay $30,000 in damages after the judge found they failed to make a "meaningful or adequate apology or retraction."
Reached this week, Meisner declined to say what his answer was to the litigation question nor was he willing to say if the Ramsey case was raised anywhere in his answers.
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