Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Secret date, secret time, secret location, secret proceedings, secret findings for Police Chief Paul Battershill hearing
BATTERSHILL HEARING SET
Date is a secret
Rob Shaw
Times Colonist - July 23, 2008
The date has been set for a closed-door disciplinary hearing for Victoria's suspended police chief, but the time and location won't be made public for fear the event could turn into a media circus, Victoria's mayor says.
"I can set a disciplinary hearing date, but I don't have to make that date public," Mayor Alan Lowe said yesterday. {Snip} ...
http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/story.html?id=367ce905-db64-4fb9-b190-341aa101225f
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People are asking: does this mean that Mayor Alan Lowe is preparing himself to be part of Premier Goddam Campbell's team in the 2009 provincial election. The indicators are in place. So ... is this the start of Election 2009? - BC Mary.
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Maybe this small but significant item in Times Colonist on July 27, 2008 answers the question about Mayor Lowe's future candidacy for election to the B.C. Legislature:
Even Victoria Times Colonist had something to say about the level of secrecy in today's governing circles:
From THUMBS UP / THUMBS DOWN
Times Colonist - July 27, 2008
... Thumbs Down
To Mayor Alan Lowe, for keeping the date of a disciplinary hearing for suspended Police Chief Paul Battershill secret. Battershill has been suspended with pay since November [actually, since October 11, 2007 - BC Mary]. Withholding such basic information as the date of a hearing, apparently for fear that reporters might wait outside the meeting room, violates basic principles of openness.
http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/comment/story.html?id=3984d700-31c7-46ee-9966-6076fab8301b
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Humour section: imagine, the pussy-cat B.C. media working itself up into a frenzy!!
Lowe's secrecy
Letter-to-the-Editor
Times Colonist - Sunday, July 27, 2008
Mayor Alan Lowe's refusal to disclose the time and location for a closed-door hearing for suspended Police Chief Paul Battershill is a farce. Since when is the avoidance of a "media frenzy" grounds for secrecy?
John Vickers
Victoria
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And for those who don't have their own expense accounts, here's a comparison with the guy across town who also lunches with his employees, now and then:
The Campbell administrations spent $587,791.06 on parties to celebrate civil service achievements, Public Eye has exclusively learned. But the government says such celebrations are needed to help retain and recruit government employees in a tight labour market. According to documents obtained via a freedom of information request, the government paid out at least $77,564.63 catering to the dining desires of the 1,813 bureaucrats and guests who were scheduled to attend the premier's fourth annual innovation and excellence awards ...
From Sean Holman's Public Eye Online
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There are so many delays going on in this province that one cannot help but wonder if they are all connected to the next election. You know, just get past the election. Get elected at all costs. Then they can finish flushing this province down the proverbial toilet. Goddamn Campbell? Goddamn Right.
People here have figured for years he might run federally for the Liberals and I go along with that theory, that is if he runs at all.He does have a business as an architect to go back to. The provincial government sets the rules on investigations so he is following the rules. Le'ts not forget the Mayor also tagged him to be interim City Manager while still Chief well after the raid at the ledg. The mayor has stated there are some conditions where the whole thing could be made public.
Thanks, Anonymous 3:04, for helping to shed a bit of light on this murky story.
I've just finished posting what little I could find about Duncan and Young and their Supreme Court date today ... all of that shrouded in secrecy, too.
What has happened, that so much is expected from citizens (taxes, wheels of industry, responsible parenting, generous volunteerism, enthusiastic voting patterns, and all that) but when it comes time to put our collective wits together to figure our way out of a mess, what happens? Doors are slammed in citizens' faces.
It doesn't seem healthy. Jeez, it's not as if we've been rioting in the streets or something.
What do you reckon? You say "The provincial government sets the rules on investigations so he is following the rules ..." unfortunately reminds me that the findings of Public Inquiries may be kept secret, that election campaigning must be curbed ... I dunno, friend. And it worries me that a man like Battershill is virtually in Guantanamo Bay. Know what I mean?
Thanks for your comments. I don't mean to be argumentative but am concerned with what's happening (as I am sure you are).
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