Monday, November 20, 2006

 

de Jong holding press conference at 4:10 Wed. 22nd, after 2:00 PM public rally on Legislature steps asks for full Fall Session

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A real B.C. mini-hearing is happening on the steps of the Legislature on Wednesday November 22nd, at 2:00 PM, featuring the Raging Grannies.

They ask, in song, why the full House of M.L.A.s is gathering for only 1 day instead of a full Fall Session. They will describe the B.C. issues in desperate need of open debate on the floor of the Legislature.

Will the Raging Grannies get answers? Sure, if enough people ask.


Here are the lyrics (so far) for a spirited sing-along:

[To the tune of "Billy Boy, Billy Boy"]

Why don't you come down here in front,
Gordie boy, Gordie boy?
Where've you been the past six months,
Premier Gordie.
Did you have to run and hide?
Someone told us that you'd died,
And we really, really cried,
Premier Gordie.

Are you scared to face the poor,
Gordie boy, Gordie boy?
You've got lots to answer for,
Premier Gordie.
Don't forget that we're your boss
Though you couldn't give a toss.
There's no province without us,
Premier Gordie.

British Columbia up for sale,
Gordie Boy, Gordie Boy?
Hydro, Gas and BC Rail
Premier Gordie.
While for the poor and homeless folks
Working people and their hopes
Just strings of promises and lies.
From Premier Gordie.

BC Ferries on the rocks,
Gordie Boy, Gordie Boy.
Check the value of your stocks,
Premier Gordie.
Clearcut valleys, washed out streams,
Backroom deals fill all his dreams,
So the cheque is in the mail
For Premier Gordie.

Virk and Basi going to trial,
Gordie Boy, Gordie Boy?
Will they tell who pulled the strings,
Premier Gordie?
If they say that you're the Man
Showed them how to scheme and plan
You may find you're in the can.
Poor Premier Gordie.


Is this a purely anti-Campbell rally? No, it isn't. It's surely going to embarrass the socks off the silent, evasive NDP Opposition as well.

I mean, isn't anybody looking out for the people? Not the Campbell government, not the Opposition, not even CanWest news services. So, as the UBC motto goes: "It's up to us." Or, as SFU says, "We are ready."

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Comments:
I think you are giving the government twice as much credit as they deserve. My understanding is that they hope to get in and out of there in one afternoon. That's right folks, one whole half of a genuine day. It remains to be seen if they get any disagreement from anybody that matters, the public, the opposition or ?. Good luck all who make it down there and I love the song.

Of course scrutiny is most likely not a popular term in Victoria when the government is actually of all places, there! Being there just invites scrutiny so......let's get the heck out of here and get back to the beach and the pina coladas.

There's really nothing of importance to maybe discuss, it's normal to have everyone in the lower mainland boiling their water, which ain't easy with a electric stove and no power. Residents of the North Coast have no ferry service, tough jerky, if they want to get out and about don't live there. When I lived up there we were served by a, gasp, freighter that could land and off load and on load cargo anywhere from a logging camp to Vancouver downtown. If it broke down there were thousand of boats out there that fit a standard dock - them standard freighter are some ferocious sea-worthy in the Hecate Strait to boot. Now one boat sinks and another breaks down and there ain't a boat in the world to match the loading ramps etc.- well progress shore does beat all don't it.

I could probably think of another thing or two our esteemed MLAs could think of to occupy their time in that Rattenbury beauty in James Bay, but why be nit picky. Sounds like good work if you can find it, hardly go anywhere, do virtually nothing, get a gold plated pension after an appallingly short tenure and be treated like somebody, everywhere you go. I guess they are like the Military, "There's No Life Like It" but in a more pleasant way.

I'm still not calmed down about Gordie shutting down the Legislature early so his full house minus 3 could spend a few weeks campaigning on the public dime before the last American style scheduled election. Then they pull this out of their....hat!
 
Nice to hear our Canadian Sister Grannies are active...keep blogging!
Granny Ruth Robertson
www.RagingGrannies.com
 
Taken from 24 hours news as reported by Bill
Tielman

Bornman pulls law society application

By BILL TIELEMAN, 24 HOURS


Erik Bornman, the key Crown witness in the breach of trust case against former government aides David Basi and Bob Virk, is no longer attempting to be admitted to the Ontario bar as a lawyer.

In a surprise move late yesterday, the Law Society of Upper Canada announced that Bornman's application will be withdrawn at the admission hearing today in Toronto.

"Both sides will be making a joint submission that the matter be adjourned," Society communications director Lisa Hall told 24 hours.

The hearing into Bornman's "good character" resulted from a complaint to the Society. Police allege Basi and Virk were bribed by Bornman, then a lobbyist, to obtain confidential government documents related to the $1-billion B.C. Rail privatization. dl
 
This statement was made by Bornman's lawyer today while addressing the Law Society in Toronto. It was then circulated to the media:

SUBMISSIONS ON BEHALF OF THE STUDENT MEMBER (Re: Adjournment)

The Law Society has requested an adjournment of this Hearing until the conclusion of the criminal trial in British Columbia.

Erik Bornmann has asked throughout that this Hearing proceed without delay because until the issue of his good character is determined, his professional life is on hold. It is important to note that this Hearing is the result of Mr. Bornmann reporting himself to the Law Society.

As a result of the criminal proceedings in BC and Court orders which were made there and which were a direct result of motions brought by both the Crown and defence in British Columbia, the hearing here must be held in camera if it is to proceed now.

Our motion for the Hearing to be held in camera was necessitated by those Court orders. This has nothing to do with to Erik Bornmann’s views or interests, rather he would prefer that this Hearing proceed in public.

Erik Bornmann has given much thought to not only his position, but also to the public interest in this Hearing as to his good character. If at all possible, it should be conducted in public.

As a result, Erik Bornmann agrees that this Hearing be adjourned to allow for the criminal proceedings to proceed first in BC, so that this Hearing can be carried out in public. This will also enable the Panel to have full and complete access to his evidence at that trial as well as to all the other witnesses in the criminal proceeding.

While this will result in Mr. Bornmann’s professional life being held in abeyance for a time, he believes this to be the right and proper course of action on his part at this time.

The criminal proceedings were commenced by an indictment dated January 28, 2005. We are prepared to consent to an adjournment to permit the criminal trial to take place, which is now scheduled to commence January 2007. Erik is to be called as a witness in the spring. Consequently we would ask that this hearing be adjourned to July 2007 to set a date. It may be that if the criminal trial is further delayed, there will be a need to proceed with this Hearing without further delay. Erik’s professional life cannot be held in abeyance for years.

November 21, 2006 BRYAN FINLAY, Q.C.
 
Well ... thank you, Erik.

Funny, nobody thought to tell us that the trial of Basi, Virk, Basi has been re-scheduled to January 2007.

Just wondering ... how did YOU find out?
 
"We are prepared to consent to an adjournment to permit the criminal trial to take place, which is now scheduled to commence January 2007. Erik is to be called as a witness in the spring."

Yeah, I agree, BC Mary...very interesting this January 2007 "new info". Also the little item that Bornman will be called as a witness in the spring...that means after March 20 or so...how do they already know this..when the public still thinks the trial is starting in a few weeks?
 
My understanding is that the trial will begin in December, but will be consumed with what is known as a voir dior until January. This is special hearing about what evidence will be allowed in.

So, while the trial may officially start in a couple weeks the actual trial is unlikely to start until January. This has been widely reported over the past couple months.
 
What a wonderfully self serving statement from somebody who according to everything that has come out to date admits to bribing public officials. Friends who were protesting the official state luncheon's for the President of China noticed Bornmann was in attendance at this event in September 2005. I guess drinking champagne and rubbing shoulders iwth international dignitaries is Bornmann's idea of having his "professional life on hold".
 
Mary, it looks like Bornmann and his friends are definitely monitoring your website!

Who else had access to the prepared statement from his lawyer?
 
I would add David Basi and his pals to that list as well.
 
So Tieleman reports that a complaint was filed with the Law Society against Bornmann, but Bornmann's lawyer tells the Law Society that Bornman actually reported himself. Tieleman says Bornmann is withdrawing his application, but Bornmann's lawyer says the matter is being put over to July.

Is the above statement a fake or does Tieleman simply have his facts wrong?
 
Good point Jim. I wouldn't be surprised if your site is being monitored by the Campbell government Mary!
 
ron s - tieleman has been following this thing pretty closely he isn't getting paid to spin like bornman's lawyer. Best thing to do is call the law society and ask them.
 
IF Tieleman had his facts wrong why didn't Bornman or his lawyers correct him?

Tieleman has been the only reporter to have been following this case closely.
 
Good point JD. Tieleman has really made an effort to piece this complex web together with all the players and all the corporate dollars flowing like water.
 
My bet is that the first time Tieleman will hear from Bornmann's lawyer is when he's served for libel. Bill Teileman is not a reporter, he is an NDP commentator. I can't imagine that Bornmann will let the stuff this guy has written stand unanswered. -- A Hopeful Grit
 
Yes anonymous, you make a good point too.
 
anonymous what will bornmann sue tieleman for? he has confessed to bribing public officials - can you get any lower than that? will he sue him for defamation? tieleman's stuff has come from the information that has been released by the judge. As a "Hopeful Grit" you should ask yourself what has bornmann said about his former pals in the Liberal party?
 
Tim we should all attend the court dates and listen for things like that. The media is not going to report things that hurt their corporate masters. Johnathon Ross wrote about the rcmp visiting the offices of the federal liberal party. bornmann's pal jamie elmhirst has been really silent when johnathon ross - a federal liberal - asked him to come clean about this.
 
Is that you Mike Geoghegan (aka jm, aka tim, aka dl, aka jd)? Are you trying to get us going on Johnathon Ross?
 
i am 50 pounds lighter, better looking and a proud socialist.
 
Somebody's joking ... the lawyer for Erik Bornmann sent out a PRESS RELEASE, not a personal letter to BC Mary.

Meantime ... has anybody seen the Press Release for the Law Society of Upper Canada's comment? I sure haven't. And I want to see it, don't you?
 
Bornman (I won't buy into the extra n, unless I see a legal change of name filing, he ain't a band after all) sounds to me like a child of entitlement that didn't learn the limits of his entitlement and has to be slapped down, but of course, being blue eyed, not too hard.

Who knows, he may have to settle for working on Howe Street or in Real Estate instead of being a lawyer. Those lines of work don't pretend to have as strict of requirements when it comes to character. It's unlikely he'll have to resort to any kind of hard, dirty or dangerous work just because he pushed his entitlement over the line of acceptability in a already tilted arena.
 
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