More "Moe Moments" to Come?

[Wetcoaster]

He's BAAAAAAACK. Moe Sihota is at it again. Here is how political columnist Michael Smyth recalls those halcyon days:

Back when Moe Sihota was the young lion of the Opposition benches _ and then one of the most controversial cabinet ministers in the NDP government of the 1990s _ the press used to love their daily rap sessions with The Human Quote Machine.

These memorable scrums were known as "Moe Moments" and, man, did Sihota give us plenty of raw material to work with! I still say we should have the guy's lips bronzed and mounted on the Press Gallery wall.

http://communities.canada.com/theprovince/blogs/victoriassecrets/archive/2009/11/11/mo-moe-sihota.aspx

In his first go round as an NDP MLA and Cabinet Minister, Moe ran into slight ethical problems. Twice resigning his portfolio and being disciplined by the law Society for his conduct as lawyer. In 1998, he resigned for making a phone call to the Motor Carrier Commission, a quasi-judicial body, on behalf of a friend who was seeking a limousine license. Now it seems he is advocating the NDP being involved "indirectly" in the recall of some Liberal MLA's which has some serious legal implications.

Moe has returned as the President of the BC NDP Party as of 2009. Normally this is a position occupied on a volunteer basis but according to long-time NDP insider and political commentator Bill Tielman (formerly Communications Director in the B.C. Premier's Office and at the BC Federation of Labour) it has now become a paid position for Moe:

According to sources in contact with me tonight, BC NDP President Moe Sihota has been paid for his role to head the party to the tune of between $60,000 and $100,000 a year.

A specific figure of $72,000 a year has been suggested.

Who approved this salary if accurate?

Why was the party president being paid for what has been a volunteer position if so?

Who knows this and who was he reporting to?

Did the party also pay for Sihota to travel to Washington D.C. with NDP leader Carole James to attend a "green jobs" conference?

UPDATE - Thursday October 14

I now have additional independent sources confirming that Moe Sihota is being paid as BC NDP president.

As a former BC NDP executive member for four years in the 1990s and political observer I am sure this is a unique situation.