Friday, September 28, 2007
More LPCBC connections
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Normally the following comment would be too partisan for this web-site. But there comes a point, in the B.C. Rail Case, where the political issues must be considered. In the spirit of exploration, therefore, the following information is presented for study. Thank you, Anonymous. - BC Mary.
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Anonymous has left a new comment on "Jamie Elmhirst re-visited":
Mary
You might want to start a separate entry for this as it concerns mainly George MacIntosh and his law firm Farris, Vaughn, Wills and Murphy.
First let me begin by correcting two statements anonymous 10:55 made. Firstly the name of the law partner of George MacIntosh at Farris, Vaughn, Wills and Murphy is James Hatton, not Hattan.
Hatton is listed on the firm's website www.farris.com as a specialist in technological law. He served as secretary on the Liberal Party of Canada in BC executive along with Erik Bornmann and Bruce Clark from 2002 to 2004 and then with Jamie Elmhirst and Bruce Clark from 2004 to 2007. On April 1 2005 he was appointed to a governance position with the National Research Council by the Paul Martin government.
Second, Hatton was not the only person associated with Farris, Vaughn, Wills and Murphy who served with Jamie Elmhirst on the lpcbc executive. Shannon Salter succeeded Erik Bornmann as communications director, serving in that position from 2004 to 2007. When she started in this position she was a UBC law student. Then in 2005 she articled with Farris, Vaughn, Wills and Murphy. Then in March 2007 she joined Farris, Vaughn, Wills and Murphy as an associate, working in their commercial litigation group headed up by George MacIntosh.
MacIntosh who is regarded as one of the leading experts in commercial litigation law, has been with Farris Vaughn, Wills and Murphy since 1974. There is no mention of either MacIntosh or his firm ever having any involvement with criminal law.
This raises the question, why did George MacIntosh agree to represent Erik Bornmann as a client when:(a)MacIntosh's expertise lay in litigation law NOT criminal law and this was a criminal case.(b)there was a potential case of conflict of interest with MacIntosh's partner James Hatton serving on the same lpcbc executive as Eric Bornmann and Bruce Clark, a man Bornmann accused in his statements to police of being involved in the Basi affair.
As it turned out, Erik Bornmann did not get very good representation from George MacIntosh. What kind of a lawyer negotiates an immunity deal for his client without putting it in writing? Perhaps a lawyer who specializes in commercial litigation but is lacking in experience when it comes to criminal law!
For the record, Hatton and Salter both supported Gerard Kennedy in the Liberal leadership race whilst Elmhirst and Clark supported Stephane Dion.
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For the record, Anonymous, your information is very much appreciated. - BC Mary.
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Normally the following comment would be too partisan for this web-site. But there comes a point, in the B.C. Rail Case, where the political issues must be considered. In the spirit of exploration, therefore, the following information is presented for study. Thank you, Anonymous. - BC Mary.
___________________________________________________________________
Anonymous has left a new comment on "Jamie Elmhirst re-visited":
Mary
You might want to start a separate entry for this as it concerns mainly George MacIntosh and his law firm Farris, Vaughn, Wills and Murphy.
First let me begin by correcting two statements anonymous 10:55 made. Firstly the name of the law partner of George MacIntosh at Farris, Vaughn, Wills and Murphy is James Hatton, not Hattan.
Hatton is listed on the firm's website www.farris.com as a specialist in technological law. He served as secretary on the Liberal Party of Canada in BC executive along with Erik Bornmann and Bruce Clark from 2002 to 2004 and then with Jamie Elmhirst and Bruce Clark from 2004 to 2007. On April 1 2005 he was appointed to a governance position with the National Research Council by the Paul Martin government.
Second, Hatton was not the only person associated with Farris, Vaughn, Wills and Murphy who served with Jamie Elmhirst on the lpcbc executive. Shannon Salter succeeded Erik Bornmann as communications director, serving in that position from 2004 to 2007. When she started in this position she was a UBC law student. Then in 2005 she articled with Farris, Vaughn, Wills and Murphy. Then in March 2007 she joined Farris, Vaughn, Wills and Murphy as an associate, working in their commercial litigation group headed up by George MacIntosh.
MacIntosh who is regarded as one of the leading experts in commercial litigation law, has been with Farris Vaughn, Wills and Murphy since 1974. There is no mention of either MacIntosh or his firm ever having any involvement with criminal law.
This raises the question, why did George MacIntosh agree to represent Erik Bornmann as a client when:(a)MacIntosh's expertise lay in litigation law NOT criminal law and this was a criminal case.(b)there was a potential case of conflict of interest with MacIntosh's partner James Hatton serving on the same lpcbc executive as Eric Bornmann and Bruce Clark, a man Bornmann accused in his statements to police of being involved in the Basi affair.
As it turned out, Erik Bornmann did not get very good representation from George MacIntosh. What kind of a lawyer negotiates an immunity deal for his client without putting it in writing? Perhaps a lawyer who specializes in commercial litigation but is lacking in experience when it comes to criminal law!
For the record, Hatton and Salter both supported Gerard Kennedy in the Liberal leadership race whilst Elmhirst and Clark supported Stephane Dion.
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For the record, Anonymous, your information is very much appreciated. - BC Mary.
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Comments:
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Lack of criminal law experience explains why Justice Bennett allowed the defence to renew its application to call Bornmann's lawyer George Macintosh if the Crown does not disclose all elements of the immunity deal for Erik Bornmann.
Given the lack of disclosure from the Crown, there is a good chance that Special Prosecutor Macintosh could face some tough questions from defence lawyers while sitting in witness box.
Given the lack of disclosure from the Crown, there is a good chance that Special Prosecutor Macintosh could face some tough questions from defence lawyers while sitting in witness box.
# posted by 
: September 28, 2007 at 9:56 a.m.
: September 28, 2007 at 9:56 a.m.
What I would like to know is how much did Erik Bornmann pay George MacIntosh for his services or did MacIntosh work "pro bono"? Can anyone find out this information?
# posted by : September 29, 2007 at 7:34 a.m.
: September 29, 2007 at 7:34 a.m.
Sheesh.
This is starting to sound like that long lost legal verse from Joni's 'Circle Game'.
All joking aside this is fascinating on-the-record information that, unless I am mistaken (and please correct me if I'm wrong) we have not read anywhere else but here.
Thanks all.
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This is starting to sound like that long lost legal verse from Joni's 'Circle Game'.
All joking aside this is fascinating on-the-record information that, unless I am mistaken (and please correct me if I'm wrong) we have not read anywhere else but here.
Thanks all.
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So, a guy who was on the lpcbc executive at the time when the mass sign-ups in the Indo Canadian community were taking place ends up with a position on the National Research Council. Why am I getting a strange sense of Gomery Deja Vu?
# posted by : September 30, 2007 at 12:43 p.m.
: September 30, 2007 at 12:43 p.m.
Speaking of Gomery, wasn't Erik Bornman working in Paul Martin's Ministry of Finance when the sponsorship scandal was taking place?
# posted by : September 30, 2007 at 2:26 p.m.
: September 30, 2007 at 2:26 p.m.
Mary
Here is another interesting tidbit you might want to post.
Sitting on the aforementioned lpcbc executive alongside Jamie Elmhirst, Bruce Clark, James Hatton and Shannon Salter was a fellow named Guy Heywood. A former North Vancouver school trustee, Heywood occupied the position of treasurer. Heywood is the vice-president of finance for a company called Renaissance Power, www.renaissancepower.ca , which explores and developes alternative energy resources. They are currently involed in something called the Anmmore Renewable Energy Project(AREP),
www.anmorefoundation.com .
And who, praytell, is the chairman of the board of directors of Renaissance Power? None other than former BC attorney general Geoff Plant!
Here is another interesting tidbit you might want to post.
Sitting on the aforementioned lpcbc executive alongside Jamie Elmhirst, Bruce Clark, James Hatton and Shannon Salter was a fellow named Guy Heywood. A former North Vancouver school trustee, Heywood occupied the position of treasurer. Heywood is the vice-president of finance for a company called Renaissance Power, www.renaissancepower.ca , which explores and developes alternative energy resources. They are currently involed in something called the Anmmore Renewable Energy Project(AREP),
www.anmorefoundation.com .
And who, praytell, is the chairman of the board of directors of Renaissance Power? None other than former BC attorney general Geoff Plant!
# posted by : October 1, 2007 at 2:58 a.m.
: October 1, 2007 at 2:58 a.m.
Here is another connection pertaining to James Hatton. Hatton's former wife, lawyer Jane Shackell presided over the Federal Liberal appeals board hearing which ruled that cabinet minister Herb Dhaliwal's riding association had to hold it's AGM on a day that Dhaliwal was out of the country on a trade mission to India. This was the AGM where Paul Martin forces took over the riding, installing Basi associate Amar Bajwa as membership chair. Over the next year 5000 new members would be signed up in the riding in anticipation of the 2003 leadership convention which Paul Martin won. In 2006, Jane Shackell was selected by the lpcbc executive, which included her ex-husband James Hatton, to attend the 2006 Liberal leadership convention as an independant ex officio delegate. To this day, day, Jane Shackell still chairs the lpcbc appeals board.
# posted by : October 1, 2007 at 8:45 a.m.
: October 1, 2007 at 8:45 a.m.
There is yet another partner at Farris Vaughn Wills and Murphy who has political connections. This is R. Hector MacKay-Dunn, was president of the provincial Liberal Vancouver Quilchena riding when Gordan Campbell was the MLA and is reputedly a good friend of Gordon Campbell. He was part of the BC Liberals campaign planning team for the 2005 election. See
www.publiceyeonline.com entry Feb 4 2005. Like James Hatton, he specializes in technology law with a particular emphasis on biotechnology. On November 15 2004, the day after Jamie Elmhirst became lpcbc president, Hector MacKay-Dunn was appointed to the board of directors of a biotech company called Engene Inc. The company website www.engeneinc.com
lists the National Research Council, where Hector MacKay-Dunn's law partner James Hatton is currently appointed to a position, as one one of it's funding sources.
www.publiceyeonline.com entry Feb 4 2005. Like James Hatton, he specializes in technology law with a particular emphasis on biotechnology. On November 15 2004, the day after Jamie Elmhirst became lpcbc president, Hector MacKay-Dunn was appointed to the board of directors of a biotech company called Engene Inc. The company website www.engeneinc.com
lists the National Research Council, where Hector MacKay-Dunn's law partner James Hatton is currently appointed to a position, as one one of it's funding sources.
# posted by : October 1, 2007 at 10:58 a.m.
: October 1, 2007 at 10:58 a.m.
Hector MacKay-Dunn also sat on the board of directors of GenomeBC, part of GenomeCanada. According to GenomeBC's website www.genomebc.ca in its February 2005 federal budget, the Paul Martin Government allocated 165 million dollars in funding to GenomeCanada. Prior to that GenomeCanada had received 435 million dollars in federal government funding.
# posted by : October 1, 2007 at 1:02 p.m.
: October 1, 2007 at 1:02 p.m.
The really sad part in all of this is that irrespective of any criminal ties that might be proved, this story continues to be ignored, not just by the SunProvinceTimesColonistBCTV set, but by the general public.
Folks have gotten so cynical about the trustworthiness of politicians that they expect them to be crooked -- completely ignoring the fact that the overwhelming majority are actually decent people.
Even with all the mud stuck to the federal liberals from Gomery, millions of Canadians voted for them. Here in BC we have a convicted premier and a scandal that absolutely stinks to high heaven. But rather than turf the bastards out, they'll vote for them anyway.
Keep up the good fight, Mary. Some of us still care.
Folks have gotten so cynical about the trustworthiness of politicians that they expect them to be crooked -- completely ignoring the fact that the overwhelming majority are actually decent people.
Even with all the mud stuck to the federal liberals from Gomery, millions of Canadians voted for them. Here in BC we have a convicted premier and a scandal that absolutely stinks to high heaven. But rather than turf the bastards out, they'll vote for them anyway.
Keep up the good fight, Mary. Some of us still care.
# posted by : October 1, 2007 at 3:37 p.m.
: October 1, 2007 at 3:37 p.m.
Thanks, Anon 3:37.
The failure isn't with the public. I think the failure is with the media which has failed in its duty to provide the necessary information to keep the province honest.
Gary Mason (The Globe and Mail) was telling me yesterday that he couldn't be writing about Basi & Virk & B.C. Rail because he writes for a national readership and, he said, Basi-Virk aren't important to the East.
I think he's dead wrong on that point. If I knew that Newfoundland & Labrador had shed Canada's 3rd largest railway under questionable circumstances and that there were whiffs of criminality (organized or disorganized) involved in the corridors of both provincial and federal parliaments ... I'd damwell want to know who, what, where, when and why. That goes for every province in Canada.
CanWest Global and The Globe & Mail seem to think that if they don't report something, it didn't happen ... and that has a whole different significance in the functioning of a democratic society.
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The failure isn't with the public. I think the failure is with the media which has failed in its duty to provide the necessary information to keep the province honest.
Gary Mason (The Globe and Mail) was telling me yesterday that he couldn't be writing about Basi & Virk & B.C. Rail because he writes for a national readership and, he said, Basi-Virk aren't important to the East.
I think he's dead wrong on that point. If I knew that Newfoundland & Labrador had shed Canada's 3rd largest railway under questionable circumstances and that there were whiffs of criminality (organized or disorganized) involved in the corridors of both provincial and federal parliaments ... I'd damwell want to know who, what, where, when and why. That goes for every province in Canada.
CanWest Global and The Globe & Mail seem to think that if they don't report something, it didn't happen ... and that has a whole different significance in the functioning of a democratic society.
.
It's funny that on neither James Hatton's www.farris.com bio nor on his personal website www.jameshatton.com is there any mention of his involvement with the federal liberal party or the Paul Martin campaign. I guess he doesn't want to tarnish his otherwise unblemished reputation.
# posted by : October 1, 2007 at 5:43 p.m.
: October 1, 2007 at 5:43 p.m.
So MacIntosh had two conflicts of interest when taking on Bornmann as a client, one law partner who sat on the same lpcbc executive as Bornmann and Clark and another law partner who was friendly with Campbell. I wonder if Bolton and McCulloch are reading this.
# posted by : October 1, 2007 at 10:51 p.m.
: October 1, 2007 at 10:51 p.m.
I bet either they, or one of their researchers is.
Not to mention whoever is now filling the good Mr. Chase's shoes
As for officers of the court itself - well.......
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Not to mention whoever is now filling the good Mr. Chase's shoes
As for officers of the court itself - well.......
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If they are paying attention, maybe the Basi-Virk trial will turn into the George MacIntosh trial. Right now their best chance for acquital is if they can convince the court that MacIntosh steered Bornman's statements to police towards Basi and Clark to shield someone else.
# posted by : October 2, 2007 at 1:09 p.m.
: October 2, 2007 at 1:09 p.m.
Now all this has got me wondering why Bornman suddenly decided to go to law school after he made his statements to police. Did he think there would be a job waiting for him at a certain law firm when he got out?
# posted by : October 2, 2007 at 6:19 p.m.
: October 2, 2007 at 6:19 p.m.
Mary Here is another interesting tidbit you might want to post.
Sitting on the aforementioned lpcbc executive alongside Jamie Elmhirst, Bruce Clark, James Hatton and Shannon Salter was a fellow named Guy Heywood.
A former North Vancouver school trustee, Heywood occupied the position of treasurer. Heywood is the vice-president of finance for a company called Renaissance Power, www.renaissancepower.ca , which explores and develops alternative energy resources.
They are currently involved in something called the Anmmore Renewable Energy Project(AREP), www.anmorefoundation.com.
And who, praytell, is the chairman of the board of directors of Renaissance Power? None other than former BC attorney general Geoff Plant!
Sitting on the aforementioned lpcbc executive alongside Jamie Elmhirst, Bruce Clark, James Hatton and Shannon Salter was a fellow named Guy Heywood.
A former North Vancouver school trustee, Heywood occupied the position of treasurer. Heywood is the vice-president of finance for a company called Renaissance Power, www.renaissancepower.ca , which explores and develops alternative energy resources.
They are currently involved in something called the Anmmore Renewable Energy Project(AREP), www.anmorefoundation.com.
And who, praytell, is the chairman of the board of directors of Renaissance Power? None other than former BC attorney general Geoff Plant!
# posted by : October 2, 2007 at 7:33 p.m.
: October 2, 2007 at 7:33 p.m.
It's starting to look like the federal Liberals in BC were controlled by the provincial Liberals in BC. Four prominant players in the first Campbell government each were conected with someone on the lpcbc executive.
Geoff Plant had his vice president of finance, Guy Heywood
Gordon Campbell had his friend's law partner James Hatton
Christy Clark had her brother Bruce Clark
Joyce Murray had her former special assistant Jamie Elmhirst
Geoff Plant had his vice president of finance, Guy Heywood
Gordon Campbell had his friend's law partner James Hatton
Christy Clark had her brother Bruce Clark
Joyce Murray had her former special assistant Jamie Elmhirst
# posted by : October 3, 2007 at 2:21 a.m.
: October 3, 2007 at 2:21 a.m.
Speaking of Joyce Murray, who is working on her campaign?
I have heard that Mike Witherley is the Campaign Manager, along with Stacy Shields, Kim Haakstad, Mark Grant, Forest Parlee, etc...
Who else?
I have heard that Mike Witherley is the Campaign Manager, along with Stacy Shields, Kim Haakstad, Mark Grant, Forest Parlee, etc...
Who else?
# posted by : October 3, 2007 at 1:01 p.m.
: October 3, 2007 at 1:01 p.m.
According to her website, www.joycemurray.liberal.ca one of the people endorsing her is Geoff Plant.
# posted by : October 4, 2007 at 3:20 a.m.
: October 4, 2007 at 3:20 a.m.
Add Cameron St. John to the list, he is the media contact.
# posted by : October 4, 2007 at 12:49 p.m.
: October 4, 2007 at 12:49 p.m.
re:Jamie Elmhirst and Pilothouse Public Affairs Group - it is hard to find many links to the original Pilothouse anymore but I stumbled upon one that is quite interesting. It is from 2002 and a new name - not the usual, Keiran, Bornmann, Elmhirst or that that verrry mysterious "office manager", Larry Thompson, ( with the credentials worthy of an Ian Fleming novel).
The person mentioned in this link, is a Heather Holmes and lists herself as a consultant for Special Projects and Events for Pilothouse, using the Pilothouse Public Affairs address as a contact point. The address and web-site link she gives is for Pilothouse. She was also "The Organization Chair "for the Victoria "Federal Liberal" Riding Asssociation in 2005.
http://www.cimpa.org/memberlist.php3?action=details&id=2348
She is presently involved organization-wise with The Federal Liberals for Stephane Dion, along with Elmhirst, Marrissen et al.
These "provincial - federal" links and "the repetition" of the list of main characters provincially and federally are giving a new meaning to the "steering" quality embodied in the term "pilothouse".
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The person mentioned in this link, is a Heather Holmes and lists herself as a consultant for Special Projects and Events for Pilothouse, using the Pilothouse Public Affairs address as a contact point. The address and web-site link she gives is for Pilothouse. She was also "The Organization Chair "for the Victoria "Federal Liberal" Riding Asssociation in 2005.
http://www.cimpa.org/memberlist.php3?action=details&id=2348
She is presently involved organization-wise with The Federal Liberals for Stephane Dion, along with Elmhirst, Marrissen et al.
These "provincial - federal" links and "the repetition" of the list of main characters provincially and federally are giving a new meaning to the "steering" quality embodied in the term "pilothouse".
# posted by : October 4, 2007 at 5:44 p.m.
: October 4, 2007 at 5:44 p.m. << Home
