Tuesday, March 09, 2010
BC Rail: more scenes to remember as May 3 trial date approaches
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Official Report of
Debates of the Legislative Assembly
(Hansard)
Wednesday March 3, 2004
Afternoon sitting
Volume 21, Number 5
Debates of the Legislative Assembly
(Hansard)
Wednesday March 3, 2004
Afternoon sitting
Volume 21, Number 5
Read more, click HERE.
Oral Questions
B.C. RAIL PRIVATIZATION PROCESS
AND POLICE INVESTIGATION
J. Kwan [for the Opposition]: The former Minister of Children and Family Development resigned when he was informed of an audit into a forgiven loan — a decision that the minister wasn't involved in, according to the government. The Premier praised the minister. Let me quote the Premier: "He's acting in the best parliamentary tradition, and I think that speaks to the quality of the man."
Today the Minister of Finance's top aide and chief political adviser is under criminal investigation for breach of trust and influence-peddling in the B.C. Rail deal.
To the Deputy Premier: if the former Minister of Children and Family Development was acting in the best parliamentary tradition, why is the Finance minister still in his job when the police are investigating criminal activities in his office?
Hon. G. Collins [Minister of Finance for the Campbell government]: I answered this question, as well, yesterday, and I think I answered it previously as well. The difference here is that I am not subject to an investigation, nor is there an investigation taking place within my ministry that would report to me, which is different than the situation of the minister she talked about.
Mr. Speaker: The member for Vancouver–Mount Pleasant has a supplementary.
Interjections.
Mr. Speaker: Hon. members, the member for Vancouver–Mount Pleasant has the floor.
J. Kwan: Well, talk about a double standard. Here's what the former children's minister said when he resigned: "As parliamentary practice dictates, when these clouds are cast, one makes the decision to step aside." The police were never in the office of the former Minister of Children and Family Development. There is no criminal investigation, at least that we know of, into the conduct of his staff. He resigned over a forgiven loan that he says he has nothing to do with.
Again to the Deputy Premier: why is it honourable for one minister to resign to protect the integrity of his office and not for the other? Why is the Minister of Finance getting special treatment from your Premier?
Hon. G. Collins: It doesn't feel like special treatment. The difference is that there is an internal investigation that's taking place in the ministry, which would need to report to the minister. There is no investigation in the Ministry of Finance that is reporting to me. There is an external investigation that's undertaken which does not include me, which does not include any elected member or any elected official. The police have been very clear about that right from the beginning.
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In my reading of Hansard, the one put forward by BC Mary, the Hon. G. Collins keeps saying he answered those questions yesterday (Question Period)... March 2, 2004. I decided this morning to track down what happened during that Question Period, and it took a bit of doing on my part, a novice when it comes to looking at how Hansard squirrels away its record of a particular date. The way its currently set up, the public can go back two years...... then it requires a bit of digging.
However, from the day before March 3, 2004 eg. March 2, 2004
http://www.leg.bc.ca/hansard/37th5th/h40302p.htm#8942
SNIP
"J. MacPhail: It was the Solicitor General that stood in this Legislature and said it's not surprising that organized crime has penetrated the Legislature. Did the Minister of Finance berate the Solicitor General for saying that? Absolutely not, because he knows that the Solicitor General had full knowledge of what was in the search warrants when he made that statement. The Solicitor General said that statement with full knowledge of what's in the search warrants, and now the Minister of Finance is trying to pooh-pooh the summary of information based on those warrants.
In opposition, that Minister of Finance called for the resignation of countless ministers on matters of much less significance. On a regular basis he did do that.
The Minister of Finance still claims to be ignorant of what was going on in his office with his chief political aide, an aide he personally hired. Mr. Speaker, ignorance is not a defence. The minister needs to take responsibility for the corruption that took place right under his nose."
To reach this information I thought all I had to do was to look for answers being given to questions. Not true. Its the other way around.
http://www.leg.bc.ca/hansard/hansindx/37th5th/2004-NDXO.htm#oralquestionsbymember
On this webpage you have to know IN ADVANCE who is asking the question, and the TOPIC eg, Kwan, Jenny Wai Ching, then the topic: "B.C. Rail privatization process and police investigation 8942-3, 8998, 10532"
I chose the 8942-3 which ended up including everyone's questions to the BC Liberal government..on BC Rail and what they knew. But to get to that webpage I first had to find March 2, 2004 in Hansard which is one step before here:
http://www.leg.bc.ca/hansard/hansindx/37th5th/index.htm (You have to a six sense to know to look in "Oral questions")
Here you go, the full index of Previous Sessions: http://www.leg.bc.ca/hansard/8-9.htm
I won't go into how I arrived at the last webpage, its buried to deeply in Hansard Services.
Is all of the above, Hansard, considered to be EVIDENCE now by the court?
However, from the day before March 3, 2004 eg. March 2, 2004
http://www.leg.bc.ca/hansard/37th5th/h40302p.htm#8942
SNIP
"J. MacPhail: It was the Solicitor General that stood in this Legislature and said it's not surprising that organized crime has penetrated the Legislature. Did the Minister of Finance berate the Solicitor General for saying that? Absolutely not, because he knows that the Solicitor General had full knowledge of what was in the search warrants when he made that statement. The Solicitor General said that statement with full knowledge of what's in the search warrants, and now the Minister of Finance is trying to pooh-pooh the summary of information based on those warrants.
In opposition, that Minister of Finance called for the resignation of countless ministers on matters of much less significance. On a regular basis he did do that.
The Minister of Finance still claims to be ignorant of what was going on in his office with his chief political aide, an aide he personally hired. Mr. Speaker, ignorance is not a defence. The minister needs to take responsibility for the corruption that took place right under his nose."
To reach this information I thought all I had to do was to look for answers being given to questions. Not true. Its the other way around.
http://www.leg.bc.ca/hansard/hansindx/37th5th/2004-NDXO.htm#oralquestionsbymember
On this webpage you have to know IN ADVANCE who is asking the question, and the TOPIC eg, Kwan, Jenny Wai Ching, then the topic: "B.C. Rail privatization process and police investigation 8942-3, 8998, 10532"
I chose the 8942-3 which ended up including everyone's questions to the BC Liberal government..on BC Rail and what they knew. But to get to that webpage I first had to find March 2, 2004 in Hansard which is one step before here:
http://www.leg.bc.ca/hansard/hansindx/37th5th/index.htm (You have to a six sense to know to look in "Oral questions")
Here you go, the full index of Previous Sessions: http://www.leg.bc.ca/hansard/8-9.htm
I won't go into how I arrived at the last webpage, its buried to deeply in Hansard Services.
Is all of the above, Hansard, considered to be EVIDENCE now by the court?
Grumps,
You've surely earned another star in your heavenly crown [I have NO idea what that means but my saintly big sister always says it when somebody does a good deed] ...
You've made a terrific find. Thank you for sharing with us.
I hope others, too, will be inspired to look at Hansard more often ... there are wonders recorded there.
.
You've surely earned another star in your heavenly crown [I have NO idea what that means but my saintly big sister always says it when somebody does a good deed] ...
You've made a terrific find. Thank you for sharing with us.
I hope others, too, will be inspired to look at Hansard more often ... there are wonders recorded there.
.
And of course Gary Collins soon decamped to Harmony Airways...so he never would actually have to 'answer' questions about the 'role' of the Finance Ministry...
Of course as we all now know, those of us paying attention, before long the Ferret did resign -interestingly he suddenly found it more beneficial to his future to take an executive position with a failing airline (that is no longer in business, unless I am mistaken) than to remain Finance Minister with the best government ever of the Bestest Place on Earth (to live if you are a sleaze with connections to the right sleazeballs).
Yep, now curious minds wonder why the Ferret found it so desirable to become almost invisible and his colleague Judith decided to almost cease to exist. Bobby Virk the other main defendent/scapegoat in the Robson Rabbit Hole Trial of course was Ms. Reid's equivalent of David Basi.
Excerpt from the Ballad of the Bad
Didja hear about Dave and Bob,
that's Basi and Virk
The AIDS that made Jude and Gare
seek a new line of work?
The one sought refuge with
a failing airline
The other found invisibilty
a more appropriate line!
Yep, now curious minds wonder why the Ferret found it so desirable to become almost invisible and his colleague Judith decided to almost cease to exist. Bobby Virk the other main defendent/scapegoat in the Robson Rabbit Hole Trial of course was Ms. Reid's equivalent of David Basi.
Excerpt from the Ballad of the Bad
Didja hear about Dave and Bob,
that's Basi and Virk
The AIDS that made Jude and Gare
seek a new line of work?
The one sought refuge with
a failing airline
The other found invisibilty
a more appropriate line!
G., you're so right [slaps knee ...],
and after "Harmony"(haaa,ha!) Airways, the former BC Minister of Finance decamped to ... drum roll ...
Belkorp Industries Ltd. which created a NEW POSITION FOR HIM [don't you dare laugh, hear?]
(Belkorp's) Key assets include Wastech Services Ltd., AtSource Recycling Systems, a paper mill in New York state, a pulp mill in Pennsylvania and major interests in Rogers Sugar Income Fund and Canadian Hotel Income Properties Real Estate Investment Trust -- a hotel chain with 38 properties across Canada.
Real estate holdings -- which extend through B.C., Alberta, Washington and Oregon -- include 1,500 residential apartment suites, five industrial sites and Big Sky Golf and Country Club in Pemberton.
Lindsay said Belkorp has a "wide open" view of what it might do in the future and is always looking for new opportunities in the North American market. He said Collins brings an "interesting and diverse" background to his new job.
Read the whole story at:
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/business/story.html?id=0f03501d-02a1-4d2d-ac63-2347c4074ce3
.
and after "Harmony"(haaa,ha!) Airways, the former BC Minister of Finance decamped to ... drum roll ...
Belkorp Industries Ltd. which created a NEW POSITION FOR HIM [don't you dare laugh, hear?]
(Belkorp's) Key assets include Wastech Services Ltd., AtSource Recycling Systems, a paper mill in New York state, a pulp mill in Pennsylvania and major interests in Rogers Sugar Income Fund and Canadian Hotel Income Properties Real Estate Investment Trust -- a hotel chain with 38 properties across Canada.
Real estate holdings -- which extend through B.C., Alberta, Washington and Oregon -- include 1,500 residential apartment suites, five industrial sites and Big Sky Golf and Country Club in Pemberton.
Lindsay said Belkorp has a "wide open" view of what it might do in the future and is always looking for new opportunities in the North American market. He said Collins brings an "interesting and diverse" background to his new job.
Read the whole story at:
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/business/story.html?id=0f03501d-02a1-4d2d-ac63-2347c4074ce3
.
Yeah Mary, the ironies are so thick on the ground surrounding this case that you almost can't help but trip over them...even when you're being careful.
It's the last paragraph that gets me...the RCMP were very clear about that "right from the beginning."
Which to me means, they knew all along about what was going on with BC Rail and the rigged bidding...and that makes me wonder about their total silence surrounding the arrest and sentencing of "Mr. Big."
Just this past couple of days there was a take-down of a marijuana grow-op in Horsefly (of all places!)..worth a lousy 4 million dollars...it managed to find its way into the Province paper within hours. Yet a MUCH larger catch remained totally silent for months - until you found it Mary...and brought it to light.
It makes me believe they knew all along - and that the silence on that "success" was more to protect government corruption they KNEW damn well was taking place at the time! If they knew - you can be certain members of the BCSC knew it too. Especially those that were doing British Columbia Supreme Court business while OUT of the country on holiday!
How do you grant authority for wiretapping while being officially on holiday, in another country? Was there no other Justice capable of granting it here at home? Should that wiretapping evidence be allowed? Is it even legal? Ugh...!!!
Nonetheless; had the RCMP brought down everyone they knew to be involved in wrong-doing during the "project"...BC would still own their own railway. And there would be a few less government ministerial types walking around with smiles on their faces.
Which to me means, they knew all along about what was going on with BC Rail and the rigged bidding...and that makes me wonder about their total silence surrounding the arrest and sentencing of "Mr. Big."
Just this past couple of days there was a take-down of a marijuana grow-op in Horsefly (of all places!)..worth a lousy 4 million dollars...it managed to find its way into the Province paper within hours. Yet a MUCH larger catch remained totally silent for months - until you found it Mary...and brought it to light.
It makes me believe they knew all along - and that the silence on that "success" was more to protect government corruption they KNEW damn well was taking place at the time! If they knew - you can be certain members of the BCSC knew it too. Especially those that were doing British Columbia Supreme Court business while OUT of the country on holiday!
How do you grant authority for wiretapping while being officially on holiday, in another country? Was there no other Justice capable of granting it here at home? Should that wiretapping evidence be allowed? Is it even legal? Ugh...!!!
Nonetheless; had the RCMP brought down everyone they knew to be involved in wrong-doing during the "project"...BC would still own their own railway. And there would be a few less government ministerial types walking around with smiles on their faces.
# posted by 
: March 9, 2010 at 9:57 a.m.
: March 9, 2010 at 9:57 a.m.
Leah not to mention admiration and respect from the citizen,no wounder the red serge is soiled not to mention the courts and every single one of their officers ,their silence makes them accomplices!!!!!!
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# posted by : March 9, 2010 at 4:09 p.m.
: March 9, 2010 at 4:09 p.m. << Home
