The BC Conservative Party issued a press release this afternoon saying the B.C. government "lacks credibility" in its claims that it knows Chinese temporary mine workers weren't charged by recruiters.

On Oct. 18, 2012, The Tyee reported that ads on Chinese websites were recruiting temporary workers for B.C. mining jobs and charging them $12,500. Some of those recruiters claimed to be working for a B.C.-based company. The CBC did a follow-up investigation with similar findings.

The next day, then jobs minister Pat Bell announced the B.C. government would be investigating. A spokesperson for the ministry told Tyee reporter Jeremy Nuttall, "No one can charge a fee to a person to help that person find a job or provide information about prospective jobs. Foreign workers cannot be required to pay for immigration assistance as a condition of being placed in a job."

Doing so can bring a fine of $10,000, the ministry said, while noting that the foreign workers are the responsibility of the federal government.

Nuttall later filed Freedom of Information requests that would show the methods used by the government as it investigated recruiter charges. Those requests turned up no evidence that any such investigation had occurred.

When Nuttall inquired, a spokesperson for B.C.'s Employment Standards Branch said it had looked into the matter and that no Chinese miners had paid any amount to recruiters.

As Nuttall reported yesterday:

"Upon a request for more information, the ESB said it does not release details of investigations.

"Ministry of Jobs communications representative David Currie reiterated the government stance an investigation had been completed and said no more information would be released at this time.

"'You would have had the opportunity to get that through the FOI,' said Currie. 'If that's what is allowed to be severed for the public record... then that's all there is that's going to be released.'

"'Upon being pressed to present proof the investigation was done, Currie said, 'That's all you're getting at this point.'"

Today the BC Conservatives issued a statement headlined "BC Conservatives demand government release details of investigation on temporary foreign miners" and demanded "the Christy Clark Liberal government release details of their investigation into allegations miners coming to British Columbia are paying recruiters in China up to $12,500 for their positions. The Clark Liberal government did not release details of its investigation, even after receiving a Freedom of Information Act request. 

"'It is totally unacceptable for the government to withhold information from the public, especially on important issues like this, where jobs are allegedly being taken away from British Columbians and sold to the highest bidder,' said John Cummins, Leader of the BC Conservatives. 'We are demanding that the Christy Clark Liberal government release information about their investigation. British Columbians deserve to know what they are hiding.'

"Allegations that foreign miners are paying recruiters in China up to $12,500 to secure their jobs and positions in British Columbia sparked an investigation by the government. 

"However, after Freedom of Information Act requests to release details about the investigation revealed that it appeared the government did not do a thorough investigation, nor even talk to anyone overseas, their claim that the miners did not pay fees simply lacks credibility."

David Beers is editor of The Tyee.