Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Oh, Joy! Where are you now??
Hansard, March 3, 2004
J. MacPhail [at that time, Leader of the two-person Loyal Opposition in the B.C. Legislature]: Is the minister still chair of Treasury Board? Does the Minister of Finance still do that?
Hon. G. Collins [at that time, B.C. Minister of Finance]: Yes, last time I checked.
J. MacPhail: When was the last time the B.C. Rail deal, either the spur line to Roberts Bank or the completion of the sale of the rail line in the north, was brought to Treasury Board?
Hon. G. Collins: I'm trying to recall if and when that would have happened. B.C. Rail was, as I mentioned, a stand-alone transaction that was being led by Mr. Trumpy — and, obviously, led through the Ministry of Transportation. There were analysts, and expertise was sought from both the public and private sectors as part of that. All those issues were presented to the review committee, which was specifically designed to deal with this transaction, and then went to cabinet.
The people and analysts who would have analyzed this as it came through Treasury Board would have been similar people who worked on the file. The comptroller general would obviously have been consulted. The Deputy Minister of Finance would have been involved and any other people within the ministry or Treasury Board staff that the team thought was appropriate.
J. MacPhail: I didn't hear even a month. Can the minister consult with anybody to find out?
Hon. G. Collins: I did consult, first of all. As I said, I don't recall it coming specifically to Treasury Board as such. There was a committee or a team that was putting it together under the leadership of Mr. Trumpy and the Minister of Transportation. There were analysts that were pulled from across government and the Crown, as well as the private sector, to do the analysis of this transaction. It went to a review committee, which I described to the member yesterday. Then the entire cabinet looked at the proposal, made a review,
[ Page 9049 ]
determined what they wanted to do, made a decision and moved forward with it.
J. MacPhail: I'm actually quite taken aback. Is there no Treasury Board decision minute on the B.C. Rail deal?
Hon. G. Collins: We'll try and determine that for the member. I'm not aware of one.
J. MacPhail: It didn't go to cabinet for final approval before the big frou-frou public announcement by the Premier. The cabinet meeting occurred — because I went through these Hansard debates yesterday — before CP Rail made its accusations of unfairness on the bid. The minister doesn't know if there was a Treasury Board minute. Where is the decision point on this deal, and when was it?
[1555]
Hon. G. Collins: I've described the process to the best of my knowledge, as well as the role of Treasury Board and the staff that might have been in the Ministry of Finance. I know the member had that discussion with the Minister of Transportation in the fall. If she wants to pursue that discussion further, she should take it up with the Minister of Transportation in his estimates.
J. MacPhail: No, no. That's not my question. Where is the decision to spend money? Where is that decision point?
Hon. G. Collins: We're actually making a billion dollars on this transaction.
J. MacPhail: No. Oh, honestly. What a ridiculous statement for the minister to make. What an absolutely ridiculous statement. Is it on that basis that he decided not to take it to Treasury Board then — because he can't remember? Isn't it funny? A billion dollars either making or spending, and he can't remember where the decision point was.
Can we just take a pause here, and then the minister can consult with his deputy minister? Is the deputy minister still secretary to the Treasury Board?
Hon. G. Collins: I've described the process to the best of my knowledge. The member had a full discussion with the then Minister of Transportation at the time about the cabinet decision on this issue. I discussed it a bit yesterday with the member, again to the best of my knowledge. It was a decision of all of cabinet. That's the final decision-making body of government. Cabinet said: "Go do this transaction. There are these few things we want you to deal with. If you can make that happen, then make the deal." That was a decision.
J. MacPhail: Was the minister at the cabinet meeting?
Hon. G. Collins: Yes.
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Amazing, isn't it?? This is, no doubt, the stuff well shielded by "Cabinet privilege" from being considered in Supreme Court as relevant to the Basi Virk Basi / BC Rail case. I'll post more of this Hansard debate soon, with special thanks to Lynx who re-discovered it. It's all there in the public record for March 4, 2004.
See also http://pacificgazette.blogspot.com/ -- RAILGATE SIX -- for analysis of how many of these relevant Cabinet ministers have now left the Campbell government. - BC Mary.
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AND ... G West reports in:
G West said...
Mary, the gain on the transaction was 199 million dollars.
The details are in note 33 of this pdf:
http://www.fin.gov.bc.ca/ocg/pa/04_05/PA_2005_Summ.pdf
Look at page 44 of the pdf version.
Selling this as a billion dollar gain is nonsense.
The details are in note 33 of this pdf:
http://www.fin.gov.bc.ca/ocg/pa/04_05/PA_2005_Summ.pdf
Look at page 44 of the pdf version.
Selling this as a billion dollar gain is nonsense.
Whose private pockets gained from this behind closed door betrayal to British Columbians?
. . . This dirty deal must be revoked, whether or not the trial sees the light of day, thanks to the darkness that has enshrouded BC Supreme Court. It appears most justice results outside of the standardized systems that have become cancerous.
Speaking of who benefited . . .Joy was questioning Kinsella's involvement in the BC Rail deal in the Leg, posted from Hansard somewhere on your site, Mary.
Given this bagman's/lobbyist's close ties to Collins, Dobell & the Prem, it would not be a large leap to this link, would it? The apple doesn't fall far from the tree . . .
Yes, Joy 'gets it'. Perhaps there should be a draft Joy for Leadership now? She is one hot tamale - just what we all need right now!!
They're wearing me out....
And they're grinding me down....
Because, I just cannot for the life of me fathom how the resignation of Mr. Thorpe, number three in Erik Bornman's 'RailGate Six', or as GWest points out, Messr's Bornmann and Kieran's aggregate 'Fab Five!' last week received about three billion times ten to the 300th less media coverage than Gregor Robertson's, who is leaving provincial life, not in disgrace, but rather because he is trying to do the right thing for the City of Vancouver.
Triple Sheesh with a Chocolate Sundae On Top!
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And thank the goddess for all the cherries Joy M. left behind for us to find to put atop those Sundaes.
By the way, details on the RG Six and/or the FabFive! (it's Gary E's choice) can be found at my place here (just start at the top and scroll on down the tracks).
Me, I'm goin'* on holidays for a spell to recharge.
Mary, leave a light on for me.
OK?
RossK
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*and I'm droppin' all my 'g's these days, 'cause that's what you do when you're an obfuscatory politico who wants everybody to know that your talkin' tough......
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