The Legislature Raids

Interesting cast of characters.

I hope readers are taking the time to look through this list of the people Gordon Campbell (through his assistant Martyn Brown) hand-picked to put his 'stamp' on government in British Columbia...

It's important to remember the details of how that process was undertaken and how essentially weak the titular heads of the provincial ministries are under Campbell's leadership. And it's important to remember some of the details about the way Gordon Campbell 'does' politics, which came out in Courtroom 54 this past spring, and which didn't JUST involve Dave Basi....

Although it is important to focus on BC Rail, as my associate 'anonymous' has pointed out several times in the past week or so, there is a whole range of interesting questions that should be asked about the 'connections' in this case.

Keep it up anonymous and well done.
 

This list includes Kim Haakstad, who became chief of staff of Liberal party headquarters in Vancouver at around the same time that Jamie Elmhirst became party president. Haakstad succeeded Mike Witherley in this position. Working alongside Witherley was Roy Bornmann, Erik Bornmann's younger brother. Roy Bornmann would later go on to manage the election campaign of Billy Cunningham, the man who preceded Jamie Elmhirst as lpcbc president. Mike Witherley is currently working on the by-election campaign of Joyce Murray, Jamie Elmhirst's fornmer boss when he worked in the Ministry of Land Protection. Kim Haakstad would remain as cheif of staff at the party office until around the time that the RCMP made a little publicized raid on lpcbc party offices in the spring of 2005. She then would be replaced by a man named Robin Whitney, who would remain in that position until shortly after Paul Martin's election defeat, when he would leave to join the Navy. Kim Haakstad would then return as an interim cheif of staff at party offices until summer 2006 when she replaced by Mark Grant. Whilst working in the provincial government, she worked under Bruce Clark's sister Christy.
 

A few corrections to the previous post. Kim Haakstad was not the chief of staff at the Liberal party office, she was the executive director. Her predecessor was Colin Topham who was named in the RCMP search warrants connected to the Basi case. Before him Roy Bornmann, Erik's brother was Executive director. Bornmann would have been the executive director around the time when the mass signups in Indo-Canadian community were being processed at the party office. Haakstad was succeeded by Mark Grant who also bore the title of Executive Director NOT Chief of Staff. Robin Whitney was already working as chief of staff in December 2004. He left to join the armed forces in the spring of 2006.