Monday, September 13, 2010

 

BC Rail Political Corruption Trial is back in court today 10:00 AM and open to the public

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and quoted from The Real Story:

... Here’s what Burlington Northern’s president had to say just before they pulled out of the process:


“I and Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad are extremely dismayed with the handling of the BC Rail transaction, especially in recent weeks as managed by CIBC World Markets.  Our dismay arises because of the lack of fairness in which the process has been conducted so far, the apparent favoritism of certain bidders and the lack of timely information provided to all participants involved in the process.
“Reports and rumours of CN talking directly with BC Rail shippers and communities have been circulating for several weeks… I was preparing a letter to you indicating our growing knowledge of this, and, if true, recommending this is a serious breach of the process you and the government established…”

“Lack of fairness”, “favoritism”, “serious breach of the process.”  Canadian Pacific said much the same in a separate series of letters to the government, except they leaked their complaint to the media ...

Ian Reid's column is HERE. 

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Cross-posted from today's comments, because what RossK says is so important:

Anon-Above

Not sure I entirely agree.

Because what bugs me about that CP article by Tamsyn Burgmann in the Winnipeg Free Press is what is NOT in there.

In fact, it drives me crazy when these sweeping proMedia summaries pretend that everything Railgate related is nothing more than allegations and that there are no known facts associated with the case.

Here is just one example amongst many that raise my ire.....

Specifically, we KNOW that the Finance Minister at the time, Mr. Gary Collins, who also just happens to be the husband of Ms. Burgmann's BC Bureau Chief at the Canadian Press, actually met and had dinner with the CEO of OmniTrax in the run-up to the BC Raildeal. This is not an allegation. This is a demonstrable fact that was not contested by Mr. Gordon Campbell's Chief-Of-Staff Mr. Martyn Brown during his testimony, under oath, during the first leg of the trial back in June.

Sheesh.
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Oh, ya...

And pertaining to Ian Reid's fine piece that Mary linked to here....

What the heckfire happened to Mr. Berardino's original plans to bring the Bankers to the stand this week?

Is it possible that all that CIBC money that went to the Gordon Campbell party, which is also a demonstrable fact, not an allegation, just might be something somebody doesn't want to become a public discussion point in the next week or two?

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 More stories:

Liar in Chief - or Mr Popular

By kootcoot
House of Infamy - Sept. 13, 2010

With the BC Rail Corruption Trial firing up again today, can single digits be coming soon? Even more illuminating was the fact that according to the poll EIGHTY THREE PERCENT of the electorate DOES NOT TRUST THIS MAN...

For more House of Infamy - click HERE.
http://houseofinfamy.blogspot.com/
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Basi-Virk trial resumes Monday after long summer break
By Bill Tieleman

Former BC Liberal government staffers David Basi, Bob Virk and Aneal Basi face charges they were involved in passing confidential government information about the $1 billion privatization of BC Rail in 2003 to lobbyists for one of the ...

Bill Tieleman's column is HERE.
http://billtieleman.blogspot.com/

RailGate Re-Loaded....Where Are The Repo-Men?
By RossK
Pacific Gazette - Sept. 13, 2010

Keith Fraser reported, in The Province that will be former BC Rail 'executives' Brian Kenning and John McLernon....You can read all about that in the post directly below this one. *Always like to l parenthasize that 'r' in honour of a ...
The Gazetteer - click HERE.
http://pacificgazette.blogspot.com/

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Citizens: we got work to do. See you in court, eh? - BC Mary.

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Comments:
Mary,
Always a pleasure to be quoted by you.
 
On the CBC Radio newscast this morning, the "reporter" covering the trial said this (a partial excerpt):

"Martyn Brown, Chief of Staff for the premier, held his own as he battled wits day after day on the stand, denying..."

"Held his own"? HELD HIS OWN?!?

CBC is part of the white-wash crew, I'm afraid. They occasionally come out with some pieces that are hard-hitting, straight-up examples of journalism, but that's just so they don't blow their cover.

Mostly the CBC is a tool of the LibCons. Or, GlibCons, that seems to fit the pattern of talking out of both sides of mouth that these parties are so adept at – except when they're on the stand and hear/see/speak no evil, due to severe memory loss.

Martyn Brown "held his own"????????? "as he battled wits"????? How much "wit" does it take Mr. CBC Reporter (didn't catch his name), to repeat ad nauseum "I don't recall." Or, the 87 versions of that statement that sprang from Martyn Brown's lips.

Shame on CBC.
 
Canadian Canary,

I can't disagree with your assessment of what's driving CBC ... and in my view it comes back to the very tight rein held by whatever federal government is in power, and thereby is capable of cruel cut-backs.

I've always thought CBC as the National Public Radio system, should have a fixed budget so they can plan ahead -- and not in constant dread that they'll be starved to death.

Otoh ... (and still not disagreeing with you) ... we have to admit that according to the Campbell Rules, the premier's chief of staff - Martyn Brown - got away with a major victory. Anybody else from the "wrong" side of the political spectrum would've been cited for contempt of court at about Day #2 of the "I don't recall" series.

It would be wonderful indeed, to know how he achieved that.
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The thing is the CBC was rarely there. How'd they know what he even said let alone how he said it?
 
msm investigative journalism?.1 dollar land sale BCR Squamish?
 
Like Ian above said, "it's always a pleasure." Also I had some spare time this afternoon after all and just HAD to update to post excerpted above.

as to:

"It would be wonderful indeed, to know how he achieved that.
"

It's all a matter of whose side the judge is on. I know the judge isn't supposed to take sides, but hey, we're in the tin-pot banana republic of British Columbia, the jurisdiction that makes Alice's rabbit hole seem logical!
 
ANONYMOUS 11:14,

How about a few details on "1 dollar land sale BCR Squamish"?

Thanks ...
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The defense should call Mark Mudie, who is He?

In a four column article on Sunday Dec 15/02 the Vancouver Province reports that former BC Rail executive Mark Mudie has launched a lawsuit over wrongful dismissal. The documents allege that BC Rail executives conspired to weaken the corporation's financial situation in a bid to force the provincial government to sell it off and thereby trigger generous severance packages for top officials. The article points to an interesting internal fight among top BC Rail brass.

...
The allegation is detailed in court documents filed in a wrongful dismissal suit brought by Mark Mudie, former president and chief operating officer, against the corporation.

The documents allege that B.C. Rail executives conspired to weaken the corporation's financial situation in a bid to force the provincial government to sell it off -- triggering generous severance packages for top officials.

...Mudie claims he was sacked because he was steering the railway to an improved financial picture, contrary to Phillips's alleged hidden agenda.

In an Aug. 26 letter to the railway's lawyers, Mudie's lawyer, Murray Tevlin, notes: "B.C. Rail has just gone through the best seven months' performance in its history. Perversely, but truly, this is the reason for Mr. Mudie's dismissal."
http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,200178

Doug comments "Actually I think there is some merit in Mr.Mudie's claims, the way things are being run around here a lot of us employees some times think that the BCR is being run into the ground deliberately."
 
Many thanks to E.M. for digging up this old story ... it's an old story but it has a familiar ring.

For a start:

Isn't there a clear conflict of interest in the current premier's office where Lara Dauphinee (never far from his side) receives a spectacular salary? Isn't it a miracle that nobody complains (out loud) about that?

Anyway, here's a bit more on the Mudie court case:

BC Rail replies to lawsuit.
Statement of Defence filed Oct. 11 (year?) by BC Rail ... denying allegations ... which remain unnamed. http://archive.nsnews.com/issues02/w102102/103202/news/103202nn3.html
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