Play Supplemental Question

StrategicThoughts.com will provide a $25 prize to the first person who is judged to have successfully identified a hard hitting supplemental question from a morning (before 2 PM) CKNW talk show host to a BC cabinet minister. It may be like pinning jelly to the wall to nail down a Campbell minister, but informed callers seem to be able to do it when they aren't cut off.

In Gordon Campbell's New Era government backbenchers use half of the legislature's 15 minute question period to lob friendly questions at their colleagues in cabinet. The talk show equivalent of that behaviour occurs when a host lobs a softball question to a cabinet minister and never follows up with tough supplementary questions.

For example, on June 17th when Gordon Hogg was asked by a caller whether borderline autistic children received the proper diagnosis given the funding constraints, he responded by saying that "assessments are up to date and now we are moving into the treatment side." There was no supplemental question from the host. He could have asked "what programs for autistic children aren't you going to fund, or are under review? Why are parents having to go to the courts?"

After a caller expressed concern over possible cuts in payments to foster parents, the host said "Minister there are going to be cuts anyway" and Hogg responded that they have a large bureaucratic service model with a lot of duplication. No time was left for a supplemental question that could have asked for one clear example to support Hogg's point - just one real example of a cut that could be justified and would come anywhere close to the planned cut of $300 million per year.

Contest Rules:

1) One and only one prize will be awarded to the contestant who in the sole opinion of the contest judge, me, has successfully identified a hard hitting supplemental question from a morning talk show host to a BC cabinet minister.

2) Submit the question and answer as well as the date and time the question was asked to contest@strateticthoughts.com

3) The question that is submitted for consideration must be available for verification on the CKNW Audio Vault.

4) CKNW employees and contractors are not eligible.

5) The contest will end when a prize is awarded, or upon notice posted on StrategicThoughts.com.