If you think it's hard understanding Opposition leader Adrian Dix's opaque election platform, you should try figuring out the seating arrangement at Wednesday's fundraiser.
The New Democratic Party has been doing a lot better than it usually does when it comes to shaking down business leaders for cash. It's a job normally left to the B.C. Liberal Party, which performs it well.
The B.C. Liberals pulled in $4.9 million in political contributions from corporations last year, to the NDP's $230,000.
That huge margin (21: 1) has been to the Liberals' benefit for years.
But with pervasive pessimism about the B.C. Liberals' chances in the May 14 provincial election, business people have taken to hedging their bets lately. So they've shown a lot of interest over recent months in meeting Dix and paying for the privilege.
The most recent opportunity was Wednesday night at the Fairmont Pacific Rim in Vancouver.
A selection of executives from natural resource sectors were invited to a private reception to meet Dix and key members of the caucus.
"This evening is being organized so that he can spend more time with leaders within the industry and hear your concerns as the province prepares for a 2013 election," said the invitation.
"This event has limited capacity," says the party organizer. "It is a closed invitation list."
Tickets cost $2,500 apiece, which is ambitious pricing for a party that usually passes the hat at potlucks.
For that amount, the guest got tapas and beverages and a 90-minute window to corner Dix or members of his caucus and explain the intricacies of their sector.
There was a new angle in this pitch that shows the party is keen to extract every nickel it can from the business world. It was called "the VIP Package." It cost $10,000. That allowed five guests to come to the reception.
The kicker is that one of the five got to go to the VIP dinner after the reception. That gave the ticket holder another three hours of face-to-face time with Dix and select caucus members.
So depending on how many VIP packages were sold, a select group of several executives from spheres such as mining, forestry and oil and gas enjoyed cocktails with Dix.
Then an even more select group of a half-dozen or so sat down and had a three-hour dinner after the reception. It's not clear how each group selected the member to advance to the dinner stage. But it is clear there was a lot of clout in the room.
The party could conceivably gross more than $125,000 from the event. Even better, there was no expectation Dix had to say anything. So far, according to those in the know, he's built a reputation in the business world for being moderate, intelligent and "not scary" by saying the bare minimum about his plans.
One of the invitees said it's understood the guests did most of the talking. They saw it as a chance to get their voice heard. So the expectation was that they toldl Dix how their worlds work, and he just listened.
Premier Christy Clark spoke at a $350-a-plate fundraising dinner last week aimed at exactly the same crowd - resource sector executives. In normal times, they wouldn't dream of contributing to the other guys. But it's a measure of how well the NDP are doing that some feel compelled to shell out even more to get close to the Opposition.
"We're all just covering the bases," said one invitee. "Right now, you have to."
"Everybody expects the NDP to win," said another invitee. "They'd all prefer a B.C. Liberal government, but there's a distinct lack of enthusiasm for Christy Clark."
The party has also held multiple sessions where business people meet their caucus.
One guest at those events has said they are notable for the fact the moderates in the caucus do all the talking, while those MLAs perceived as being more left-wing just sit quietly.
One Liberal said the business guests at Wednesday's dinner are just "covering their butts" and have been the targets of a hard sell by the NDP, which is assuring them it will win the election, so they need to start showing up.
Maybe so. But it's working.
