Attorney General Wally Oppal blamed the media today for not better explaining his refusal to answer questions about the B.C. Rail case.
“The media have done a pretty poor job of explaining the sub judice rule,” he said during a heated scrum. “It's easier for you guys to call me Stonewally. That's an easy way for you guys to come out. Why don't you take the time and explain the rule and the historical origins of the rule. The media has abysmally failed to do that.”
The comments came after a question period where Oppal refused to answer NDP questions about lobbyist and Liberal backroom organizer Patrick Kinsella's work on a deal involving B.C. Hydro and Accenture. “The matter of B.C. Rail, the matter of Patrick Kinsella, is before the Supreme Court of British Columbia,” he said.
Asked in the hallway about Kinsella's work for B.C. Hydro, Oppal said, “I'm not going to speculate. Something new seems to come out every day and I'm not going to speculate. I don't know what he's done and what he hasn't done.”
He defended his refusal to answer questions. “It affects the integrity of the court,” he said. “We have to guard jealously the integrity of the courts and people here don't seem to understand that.”
He added, “If I, as the Attorney General, a former judge, comments on what goes on in the courtroom there's every possibility that will result in an unfair trial.”
The sub judice rule prohibits the Attorney General from making any comments on a matter before the courts, if those comments are likely to influence the case.
“Apparently anything to do with anything this government has ever done is now off bounds,” said NDP leader Carole James. “They're not going to answer questions on anything.”
Public eye has posted video of the Oppal scrum.
Andrew MacLeod is The Tyee’s Legislative Bureau Chief in Victoria. Reach him here.
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alive
3 years ago
peoples court May 12
The only court that counts will sit on May 12th.
the People will speak, let us hope they will teach these creeps a lesson!
North of Hope
3 years ago
cartoon
Check this site for a cartoon.
http://www.opinion250.com/blog/view/12447/1/it%27s+before+the+courts?
David Marley
3 years ago
Just Keep Digging
Stonewallying is bad enough. but self-pitying stonewalling, ("It's easier for you guys to call me Stonewally,") just demeans the dignity of the office Mr. Oppal holds.
There's an old cliche, "If you want to get out of a hole, stop digging."
Mr. Oppal is making it easier for my friend Vicki Huntington to defeat him in the election of Delta-South Is Oppal secretly a member of her campaign team? :)
David O. Marley
Grumpy
3 years ago
Speaking of Wally Awful.....
....Living in South Delta, I have had 2, cout'em 2 phone calls asking me to support Wally the Awful.
Sounds like desperation to me!
DPL
3 years ago
Wally was getting pretty
Wally was getting pretty upset. Figures he is still a judge of the Appeals Court not just another MLA. He now has even more people upset with him. Way to go Wally. Sure there is a court case but let's not forget the sitting judge has opened many documents to the public. He can say what he wants but people are reading the stuff and forming opinions. When will he be setting up a law office? Soon after the eelction we hope.
SharingIsGood
3 years ago
Wally needs to retire
He's got a big enough pension. He is obviously too old to do quality work. He is under contract to work as the Attorney General for the people of BC, yet he acts like he's a hired gun for the Liberals. The man is at odds with the ethics of his profession and his position. He is looking weary, and it is time for him to rest now. What a legacy of infamy he will have when all is finally revealed, and the truth about the Liberals will come out!
RossK
3 years ago
If he doesn't like Stonewally.....
....Maybe he would be more comfortable with 'General Stonewall, Sir!'
.
NicS
3 years ago
Stonewally = Very Slippery Fish
This man is better at the spin game than the master himself, Gordon Campbell. He parachutes into Delta South (Tsawwassen & Ladner) where Gordon Campbell has just rammed transmission lines thru almost 200 families back yards, despite the obvious health issues, and then Mr. Stonewally claims he was always against this move by his boss. But he is still a Liberal that supports Gordon Campbell. He seems to forget that his loyalty should be to us, not that carpet bagger Gordo. The Corporatist Premier of British Columbia who has sold his soul and our province to the highest bidder. These men are better at changing their colours than Chamelions.
Their arrogance and neglect is shamefull and we have to throw them out of office this time around.
morechatter
3 years ago
Off the Wall
And out of the legislature many hope as Campbell's version of justice leaves Vancouver's streets filled with the dead and Oppal with out any hope of being re elected.
munroe
3 years ago
Perhaps Wally is simply
Perhaps Wally is simply speculating that the Accenture deal SHOULD be before the courts. An interesting thought actually...
Skywalker
3 years ago
It is sad really
Waly will be remembered more for being just another Campbell hack than anything else. Did he really think his once being a judge would somehow overshadow all his ideological political actions? Was he really that naive? Sorry Mr. Oppal, you reap what you have sown.