Conflict of interest allegations have once again tried to tarnish the halo over Jack Bennest’s head.
But our guess was right: the popular Town councillor and news blogger has survived unscathed; he has a knack for doing that.
The Town has confirmed that its legal advice has cleared the councillor of wrongdoing. The fact is any lawyer would be hard-pressed to find Bennest in true conflict as far as pecuniary benefits go.
Businessman Jim Wyse, a supporter of the national park, believes the councillor is in potential conflict for bringing his “provincial park” motion to council for debate. (Bennest still maintains that his motion has nothing to do with the national park controversy.)
Simply bringing a motion before council to spark discussion is not a conflict of interest in our eyes. To charge that Bennest’s motion will reap him pecuniary interests (in advertising on Oliver Daily News) is suspect. He may gain additional readership from it, but that’s about it.
But the bigger question that has been raised over the years is whether “Jack” is in conflict because of his position on council.
It can be argued that he has “insider” information pertaining to council business that no other media has. He knows what’s coming down the pipe before anyone else, and can prepare how he delivers that news before it is made public.
The late Michael Newman, former publisher of the Chronicle, initially brought these conflict allegations to light several years ago. Newman, a fellow Town councillor, challenged Bennest on this and wanted council to act on it. But council quickly determined there was no conflict and did not address the issue again.
The fact is Bennest is (and has to be) very careful because he is bound by confidentiality and the Community Charter not to disclose anything that occurs in camera.
For the longest time Bennest did his own reporting of council meetings before hiring another writer to do this. And he was still involved in Oliver Daily News during his bid for re-election. He didn’t step down.
Others may not know that he benefits financially from the Town placing ads on his website. The Town of Oliver already has a newspaper of record. Why is it spending additional taxpayers’ money for advertising on a blog?
With that said, Oliver Daily News and the Chronicle have a good working relationship in this community. We’re in the same boat, and life is too short to make more enemies.
One thing we’ll say about Jack: He’s one of the best drive-by shooters (photographers behind the wheel) in BC. He knows how to charm the ladies, and has more connections than a call centre operator.
