The Legislature Raids

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BC Mary continues to have problems accessing the Legislature Raids, as a visitor or as the boss. So she forwarded some information to me in case I could post some of it, rather than just giving up, as logical as that may seem at times. Confronted with the ongoing criminality, obfuscation and especially galling, the apparent either complicity or lack of concern by the Loyal(?) Opposition, it becomes tempting to throw up one's hands and become another "What Me Worry" person. I can't help but entertain the notion, that as bad as things may be for the average British Columbian, they are still good enough for opposition party members that they don't really want to rock the boat. I can't help but suspect there may be far too much of the attitude "Go along to get along" going around!

The latest "bombshell" re: the BC Rail travesty seems to be that we are all crazy, the deal isn't secret and has been completely public for the last five years. Added to this is the notion that since the deal has been public and uncontested for five long years it must be perfectly legit.

Now this really conflicts with my recollection of what I naturally assumed was reality, and it makes even the koot consider not bothering to even care anymore. But then that would be the perfect strategy for the cabal we know as the Campbell Gang to undertake, wouldn't it?

Mary recently received the following from one of the research assistants at NDP Opposition HQ:

Hello Mary, I understand that you emailed asking for the BC Rail sale contracts.

Here are the links to the 2 agreements: the "Transaction Agreement" (the outright sale which the government rebrands on the link as the "Investment Partnership Agreement") and the "Revitalization Agreement or 990 year lease portion of the deal: http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/bcrail/

(FYI, there was also a third agreement called the Consent Agreement that came out when the federal Competition Bureau signed off on the deal on July 2, 2004 but it is not on this provincial website.)

You can also access the 2 main agreements on the Legislative Library website:

The Transaction Agreement: http://www.llbc.leg.bc.ca/public/PubDocs/bcdocs/370853/index.htm)
The Revitalization Agreement: http://www.llbc.leg.bc.ca/public/PubDocs/bcdocs/370854/index.htm).

The Campbell government only released these publicly under pressure/in response to our FOI back in 2004, and then posted them in their heavily severed version on the website.

We continue to push the government to come clean on the deal they gave CN and release the full text of the agreements.

So that last sentence kinda forces me to ask yet again - IS THE AGREEMENT REALLY PUBLIC - OR NOT? I assume by "severed version" the r.a. is just trying to use bigger words than necessary and means cut, or more accurately perhaps "redacted," but then again, I can't even figure out what the loyal opposition opposes!

posted by kootcoot and crossposted at the House of Infamy

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BC Mary writes: Many thanks, Koot. I was totally blocked from access to this site until a few minutes ago. And it may go crackers again any minute. So I'll hurry up and post this comment from 2004, found by Lynx:


BC Liberals "leased" BC Rail for $52 million, says MacPhail
September 15, 2004

VANCOUVER - The true sale price for BC Rail comes to a mere $52 million, NDP Opposition House Leader Joy MacPhail said today.
MacPhail pointed to the 1st quarter financial report delivered yesterday. That report states that a mere "$52 million of the transaction gain relates to the operating lease for the right of way and rail bed assets, and will be spread out over the term of the lease..." (page 19, First Quarter Report)

"This BC Rail deal is a scam, and the first quarter report proves it," said MacPhail. "We handed over $750 million in assets from a profitable company to a major BC Liberal campaign donor for a return of just $52 million spread over 90 years. That's $577,000 a year for a company that made a profit of more than $80 million last year alone. I'm sure they're having a good chuckle over at CN headquarters."

MacPhail said that the deal is another example of the premier's incompetence.

"At the end of the day, Gordon Campbell makes a good mark for big companies looking to buy up BC. Every privatization scheme he touches results in BC getting ripped off or in such a ferocious public backlash that he has to back off."

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