Lara Dauphinee

Quote: Last week saw affidavits filed in B.C. Supreme Court from Campbell's Chief of Staff Martyn Brown, Deputy Chief of Staff Lara Dauphinee, Deputy Chief of Staff for Issue Management Jay Schlosar, Tobie Myers, ministerial assistant to Housing Minister Rich Coleman and a host of other political and other government employees. None of the affidavits have yet been made public.
End of quote.

This must be the first time that the premier's shadow, Lara Dauphinee, has ever made a public statement. When you think of what that lady must know, after 13 years at Gordo's side, it boggles the mind what she may be saying to this Supreme Court hearing.

The people of BC ...

... deserve Mr Campbell as premier.

Half didn't vote.

A plurality of voters chose BCLiberal candidates.

A majority of voters chose to keep the FTP electoral system.

The rest couldn't convince their friends, colleagues and neighbours that a better option was available.

Education is expensive - but look at the cost of ignorance.

And What Would A Watergate Analogy Be Without....

....A List.

____
Hey!....Who's gonna play Mr. Tieleman in the movie....Hmmmmm.....How 'bout this guy?

.

CTV today.

They actually carried the story with an interview of the defense attorney, No accompanying interviews from One of Campbell's minions and no comment from the NDP. Then it was quickly on to how low the water reservoirs were in the Vancouver area. Those swimming pools are on everyone's radar screen, aren't they?

how will this movie end?

We all know how it will end. The way it always ends.

By the next election the overwhelming majority won't have the slightest idea about this scandal, or any of the other scandals that will have taken place.

The money-men will decide Campbell is/is not past his due date, their media will sell the old/new leader and vilify the tax-happy, money-wasting socialists, and presto another Liberal/Socred/whatever big money decides to call themselves government.

Pundits will pontificate, hands will be wrung and the cycle will repeat.

Peasant 43 may be right

Yep, the capitalists may just drop Gordon Campbell just like an old worn-out marionette only to find another. The latest finding against the borrow and spend crazy BC Liberals is that they did not follow the recommendations of their own inquirey after the Kelowna fire of some years back. Kelowna is still not out of the woods, if the winds had been worse, or if they pick up again, it could spell devastation. Their own inquirey told them to get the fuels off the forest floors and create more firebreaks around populated centres.

What a joke of a government we've had! I did the math on Campbells bodyweight and alcohol consumption. He drank the equivalent of 22 ounces of booze before climbing behind the wheel in Hawaii. What lunacy! We still have the laughing stock of Canada micromanaging the show.

"the whole situation has an

"the whole situation has an All The President's Men feeling about it."

All the Presidents Men I think was more about two hard working investigators and a "deep throat".

We have three hard working reporters in this province working on this story and they are Bill Tieleman Niel Hall and Gary Mason.

There are no other reporters working on this other than in a soft ball situation. And we need a deep throat.

How much $ did it cost to get to this?

and how long?

Gee, are we getting fleeced once again?

Hard to atay "Zen" about this one

Saying "Aaaargh..." helps ... a bit

"The records that should be

"The records that should be kept under the law have been kept." Gordon Campbell, 2009

"People have got to know whetheror not their President is a crook. Well, I'm not a crook."
Richard Nixon, 1973

[Rail]Roads stretch out like healthy veins,
And wild gift horses strain the reins,
Where even Richard Nixon has got soul.
Even Richard Nixon has got
Soul.
Neil Young, Decade, 1977

Campbell--not so much.

Sinking Ship?

Basi and Virk are starting to look more and more like Rats deserting a sinking Ship. "It's not our Fault, We were following orders". This does sound more and more like either Watergate, or possibly Nuremberg.

With just a little bit of luck, This whole mess will finally blow up in Campbell's face, and we will be able to do something about him.

Deep Throat

Gary has it right.... the only thing missing from this saga is a "deep throat". Once he or she comes onside this thing will break wide open. Anyone out there have the guts?

BC Mary

"When you think of what that lady must know, after 13 years at Gordo's side, it boggles the mind what she may be saying to this Supreme Court hearing."

Agreed.
I'd also be interested in what she is not telling...

Tieleman is no Tony Soprano!

RossK is hilarious but hey, whatsamattayou? I don't weigh anywhere near what James Gandolfini weighs! And I have no Italian heritage either.

But I can occasionally be "persuasively diplomatic".

Depositions Required

All of the named individuals should be ordered by the court to sit down with police and write sworn statements regarding what they knew. After all, the truth exists not only in the e-mail messages - erased or not - but also in the minds of those who were involved.

Let's not allow ourselves to believe that if the e-mails are erased, nothing can be done. We need something more than an RCMP investigation now. We need an inquiry. However much it costs, it will be worth it to finally know what happened so the wrongdoers can be bounced not only for the way the stretch of rail was sold but for apparently doing everything they can to hide the truth.

But, if an obstruction charge is enough to get them into court to start answering for what they've done, the lay it!!!

Reprinted from an anonymous

Reprinted from an anonymous response to Tieleman's Blog, May 14,2007:

"Only idiots would believe that Liberal ministers or the Premier were somehow involved in this mess.

I notice that all the opinions expressed up until now, obviously come from left-winging NDP nuts.

Good luck. The Liberals will capture the next election too, despite all the b.s. regarding this farce."

Let's see how this 2-yr old response has worked out. Tieleman's NDP column/blog is always praised by left-winging NDP folk. I'm happy for Bill and DPL that they have mutual admiration for each other. Liberals win another election, hardly a surprise given the competition.

That's two, apparently this guy knows quite a bit so I'm going with him about the first item. Campbell said all records have been kept/destroyed according to law and they no doubt have. It's too bad we allow this guy to twist the law the way he does but we're helpless to do anything about it and they know that.

Thanks Bill for putting this link in your blog for me to find.

secret taping system

"In the original Watergate investigation, it was revealed in July 1973 that Nixon had secretly installed a taping system to automatically record all conversations in the White House."

Point of information: The White House taping system was installed during the John F. Kennedy administration.

Warrant

Here is what I don't understand. Would the RCMP not have trucked away all the computers and printed information that night. Why are people searching around for deleted stuff, certainly the RCMP got the "drop on them" and have all that information?

Lary Waldman

Bada Bing!

.

But, all joking aside, regarding the vital question of who may have ordered the destruction of the previously 'retained' Emails.....

Why doesn't somebody ask the Minister responsible for Ms. Rosemarie (Don't call me Woods!) Hayes' Unit, who just happens to be the verysame fine fellow who oversees the.....

...Public Affairs Bureau!

.

Lary

They only had warrants for certain files and equipment in specific and fairly narrowly defined locales and offices;

I suspect they do have a good deal of information about the emails - who wrote them, which offices and even which computers they came from....

Interestingly enough, beginning in, I believe, the early part of this year there has been an ongoing process of replacing computers and updating the OS of all the IT hardware within government.

It has been extremely costly and not a little frustrating for all kinds of civil servants who are more interested in doing their jobs than updating their computer skills.

The redundant hardware is trucked away for storage, disposal and, in some cases, re-use.

It may well be the case that some of the equipment involved is sitting in a warehouse right now, hard drives may be removed and stored elsewhere or, may be in the process of being rendered unreadable.

I believe the call it drilling.

I wonder if the RCMP has considered putting a seal on that warehouse?

Canned West

Who cares?
Did you folks realize there are Satanic Drug Dealing biker gangs trying to kidnap your beautiful child while running rampant across this beautiful province? That Micheal Jackson died? That a homeless shelter was ruining this beautiful city? That there's a fire burning in Kelowna?
You're supposed to be scared sh**less and outraged at lawlessness - not getting curious about the back room boys in Victoria.

All of this gets front page coverage - from a seriously West Coast perspective meetings thingee, kind of, sort of...
Hey - look over there!

Remember the movie the STING

Could it be possible that the defense,now that judge Bennett has ruled the emails are relevant are waiting for the Campbell gang to come back to court with empty pockets and empty stares only then to present 1000s of emails?......
Food for thought,obviously incriminating emails exist or did exist at one time,certainly the defence is aware that Campbell would destroy any evidence that would bring him down,wouldn`t a real smart cagey defense lawyer ask for something they already had?
It sure would look good if the Campbell gang said sorry we tried to produce emails but we were to late but trust us,there was nothing of relevance in those emails........
Then budda bing budda boom produce the emails......
It certainly would be more dramitic.

Cheers-Eyes Wide Open

Tieleman replies to question

To answer Lary Waldman's question - the police took away Basi and Virk's computers but not those of the cabinet or political staff. The defence argues that their emails could exonerate their clients by showing that the BC Rail deal was "rigged" and that Basi and Virk were merely following instructions from their bosses.

They also argue that others may have leaked information to lobbyists.

Needless to say, these are all allegations unproven in court.

The thing too is Canwest who

The thing too is Canwest who owns Global BC, Sun & Province rarely mention anything negative about Gordo and when they do they usually throw in a quip about the NDP. The media made sure Campbell won. If they would of told the truth about the crappy German built ferries Gordo bought from Germany, BC Rail, 500 million over budget convention centre and many other issues, things may of turned out different.

Yet so many are still 'upset' about a deck....

In 4 years come next election this will all be forgotten about, Campbell will be gone anyway next year, the libs will have a new leader for 2013 while the NDP will not and the Libs will win a 4th term like the Social credit did after Barrett was Defeated.

Unless the NDP get a more 'positive' leader for 2013 they will lose, especially if they keep Ms. James.

Half the people..

Look around you,
half of the people in the room DID NOT VOTE.And no one seems to care about anything this gov't does, and most have the attention span of a fruitfly. Unless Gordo gets all liquered up and drives a Hydrogen Hummer through the Olympic village, well... that might be newsworthy for a day or two...but look how "green" he is...and how about this heat wave?!

Glen Murtz

But.....the stats are out that shows crime is DOWN -- evidently in spite of what has to be record shootings in BC this year. How are they gonna divert our sttention span now?

reporting (or not) for duty

Glen noted:
We have three hard working reporters in this province working on this story and they are Bill Tieleman Niel Hall and Gary Mason."

And yet who'd the CBC call upon for an expert opinion this morning?
The reliably lame Les Leyne. Who really had nothing to say and even went so far as to speculate that a few months from now, there will no interest in what anyone may have to say.

You'd think CBC was Canwest.

RickW asks, "How are they

RickW asks, "How are they gonna divert our attention span now?"

The forest fires sure helped. When Campbell was asked about the order to release the e-mails, when he was in Kelowna today, he replied that he couldn't say anything as it was before the courts.

Not much has changed.

Before the courts

The BC Liberals are using the phrase, "It's before the courts," as though it means I have the right to remain silent. I am so sick of hearing our employees, The Premier and his bootlicks, refuse to answer questions about their actions while in our employ. Mr. Campbell prides himself on doing things like they do in the private sector. Well, excuse me Mr. Campbell, but when your boss asks you questions about what you have been doing with the company's resources, you answer him or you get fired with cause - no severance package. It is time that all of BC's MLAs began being accountable to their bosses. It is time for them to come clean. The few that have a bit of a conscience, must be sick over this! I hope they are. Where are the back benchers? What do they think about their leader?

Mainstream media awakens

Title: Mark Hume discusses corruption probe in B.C. politics
Date: Wednesday July 22, 2009
Time: 12:00PM PDT

Mark Hume of The Globe and Mail British Columbia bureau takes your questions on the political corruption trial that is reaching all the way to the office of Premier Gordon Campbell.

Regardless what happens,

Regardless what happens, Campbell and his cronies have a long strings of directorships waiting for them, a la Mulroney's, and their feet will never again touch the ground.

Now the question is: If the BC Rail sale turns out to be an outright fraud, as it appeared to be right from the beginning, can it be turned over, or is it ironclad protected by the NAFTA and WTO ?

If it isn't a fraud, why haven't the details been released? What gives the right to any government to sell off huge public properties without any consultation with, or information to the rightful owners?

Trustees who have been guilty of such actions have been going to jail for less that this, how can politicians get away with it ? And how can the owners, the public, be so incredibly stupid by allowing them to get away with grand theft?

Ed Deak.

Oh, grow up!

"If they would of told the truth about the crappy German built ferries Gordo bought from Germany, BC Rail, 500 million over budget convention centre and many other issues, things may of turned out different."

We should not need those specifics. If the electorate cannot see and hear from these people where on the spectrum of accountability they live, we have no hope. It oozes out of their pores that they have no regard for thee and mee, but only for being taken to the money river.

More Kudos to Mr. Tieleman

BC citizens remain in debt to Mr. Tieleman's courage and tenacity to keep this story from being buried long ago. It certainly appears we are being ruled by a corrupt regime. How did BC become so lost? It's really shocking and painful to think one of the best provinces in Canada is now ruled like a banana republic.

Change can only come from us. It NEVER comes from above, so for those complaining about figures in authority not stepping up to the plate, forget about that. It must come from citizens, lots of them, who decide we want our democratic rights back. This means organizing, organizing, organizing. And while we're at it, turn off your TV. Its the biggest obstacle to change. Great coverage.

Kudos

Bill's been great, it's true.

But he's a working journalist who gets paid, one way or another, for his work.

Equally important on this file is the dedication and hard work, all unpaid, of BC Mary.

It gives me great pleasure to be able to send interested Tyee readers to her blog:
http://bctrialofbasi-virk.blogspot.com/

For the most comprehensive archive of information and up to date dispatches about the BC Rail case and the problem of leadership in both government and the press here in this province that's where readers should start, and end their day.

What is that Noise?

So what is the focus? Basi-Virk? The sale of BC Rail (thank goodness they dumped it, it cost us plenty) Watergate (really, what does this really have to do with this?)or evil Gordo? This scattered, spittle infused vitriol is precisely why nothing of consequence will come of this, and this kind of weak reporting only makes it worst. Let the courts proceed and once the verdict is in, then, get fanatical. Right now it is nothing more than speculation, get a grip folks!

Predicate

When you state "BC Rail cost us lots", where did you get your facts and figures? I once worked for BC Rail and we made lots of money. Our biggest problems were the Social Credit Party. They were in power and wanted the coal mined NE of Chetwynd. BC Rail told them at the time that it was economically unfeasable. It, simply put, was too expensive to build the railway there and the price of the coal extracted was expensive compared to the SE Coal. But Bill Bennett had to have his monument and BC Rail was ordered to build the railway. That was the biggest money loser BC rail had at the time. Thank you right wingers.

Building monumnents sounds then sounds like Gordo now. Monuments all over BC to this jerk. BC rail put more money into general revenue other than BC Hydro. Hmmmmm wonder when that will be sold. Frankly the free enterprise LIbERalS couldn't run a lemonade stand. And if they did they would lie about how much money they made.

Debunking Predicate

Contrary to what Precicate stated:
BC Rail was a huge money-maker.

In 2002, while paying BC Rail workers wages (on which they were taxed), BC Rail earned $75,000,000. Through just the 3rd qtr. of 2003, (the last reporting period for which these figures are available), BC Rail had earned another $70,000,000. These are the net profit (after loan payment) earnings! For the years 2004-2009, BC Rail would have earned even more money. China was buying BC commodities at a break-neck pace.

In Financial statements, CN has attributed the purchase of BC Rail as contributing heavily to the wealth of black ink that they have amassed since the “purchase”.

On top of huge increases in stock values, and stock splits, Gates and other CN stock-holders have already profitted by collecting dividends:

Splits:
2004: 3 for 2
2006: 2 for 1

Dividends per share:
2003: $0.335
2004: $0.39
2005: $0.50
2006: $0.65
2007: $0.84
2008: $0.92
http://www.cn.ca/en/investors-shareholder-dividends.htm

In 2007 CN posted earnings of $3.91 per share and a 29% dividend
http://www.cbc.ca/money/story/2007/01/23/cnrail.html

2004:
Canadian National Railway Company
Management’s Discussion and Analysis

“The purchase of BC Rail in July 2004 not only grew CN’s forest products business substantially, but also expanded the railroad’s capacity in British Columbia, where the Port of PrinceRupert has the potential to become an important gateway for traffic moving to and from Asia and the heartland of North America.” (snip)

RE: Revenues: ” The increase of $664 million, or 11%, was mainly due to the inclusion of GLT and BC Rail revenues of $351 million,” (snip)

http://www.cn.ca/en/investors-financial-quarterly-releases-dividends-2004.htm

Yes, stocks go up and down, but CN rail stocks today are worth more per share than in 2003 and they have gone through compounded stock splits of 3 for 2 and 2 for 1 during the years since the railway was sold. Further, they managed this while buying back some shares and thus assuming some more debt (while money is cheap and interest rates low) so as to avoid some U.S. corporate taxes for the heavily invested shareholders

Forgotten beyound the scene: Robin Mathews

It would be fair IMO to acknowledge the contribution of those that were tenuously biting at Judge Bennett rear end way back then and have continued to do so while a lot of people could not care less digging up the story. Hereby I name Robin Mathews coverage of these hearings on Vancouver coop radio and on vivelecanada.ca.

The Herd and The "Apathetics". so-called..

"The people of BC ...
... deserve Mr Campbell as premier.

Half didn't vote."

While what you say is certainly true, in many important regards, there are more subtleties to it, and exposing the fraud of The System, than this statement generally allows. From my perspective, "non-participation" in a fraud electoral system is not a bad thing. It serves, increasingly, to expose the shallowness of the system in ways even folks here begin to see and understand, and it increasingly undermines the "Her Majesty's Government" and "Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition" charade.

And, if it continues to grow, this "non-participation", it increasingly gives "the system" the rope it needs, with which it will eventually hang itself.

I worry more about the herd followers of the bullshit party system, than those who have stepped outside of it for the duration. I suspect that the real "opposition" of the future is more likely to be drawn from the source of those of us who don't vote, than those committed to the "stage managed electoral system" of capitalism.

What's really needed here is a bridge, that builds a real and serious "opposition" and, at the same time, a "transformation movement" that can take hold of this society and shake it to its very economic, social and political core, and create a radically new "democracy" at all these levels.

I don't vote, and I am anything but apathetic. Herd following on the other hand, is the essence of real apathy.

A Pig In a Poke

The NDP had plans to privatize BC Rail as early as 1995. One reason being BC Rail's $1.4 billion in write-down costs over the years.

And 75% of BC Rail's revenues are derived from the forest industry. What forest industry? The lines must be bleeding red ink.

CN's leasehold interest financially only really gained from BC Rail's $500 million in tax loss carry forwards and potential synergies with CN's east-west mainline system.

A pig in a poke, I say.

Matt T. dead wrong!

"The NDP had plans to privatize BC Rail as early as 1995. One reason being BC Rail's $1.4 billion in write-down costs over the years."

I don't know what you are smoking but this is simply not true!

The Facts Man

Reports commissioned by the NDP to potentially privatize and sell off BC Rail:

1. Project West - prepared by RBC Dominion Securities;

2. Project Roundhouse - prepared by Gordon Capital Corp.;

3. Project Whistler - prepared by Goldman Sachs;

You can read all about it in the June, 1995 edition of Hansard.

http://www.leg.bc.ca/hansard/35th4th/h0606am.htm#15008

Matt T "interpretation" of "facts"?

All you got is Doug Symons and David Mitchell turning over rocks in an Estimates exchange. The minister consistently explains there is nothing there except the ministry looking at various options from a business perspective. It never went to Cabinet, never went to the NDP Caucus as the MLA David Schreck crearly indicates and even Richard Neufeld, now a senator, says he would be opposed. You are trying to make a case out of a passing reference to something in an estimates exchange involving liberal opposition members who were clearly fishing without bait. You are still wrong and this as justification is lame, very lame!.

Debunking Matt T.

Matt wrote" "Reports commissioned by the NDP to potentially privatize and sell off BC Rail:"

The important word is "potentially", Matt. Three reports were written, and over the next 5 or 6 years, the NDP continually weighed their options. They quite correctly found that the railway was a money-maker. The earnings to debt ratio for the railway was very favourable. The balance sheets, the income statements and the projected income were looking very good for BC Rail.

Even in these times, what used to be BC rail is shipping enough product to be making money. Why do you think Bill Gates bought in? He's a very astute businessman, and he knows a bargain when he sees one. The Campbell government made a very poor business decision and he lied about it.

"Before the Courts"

What Mr. Campbell really meant is he shouldn't have destroyed the evidence incriminating his government and himself. because the matter was "Before the Courts." And to destroy evidence relevent to this case knowing such is as good as Quilty as charged.
Or are we supposed to buy Campbell isn't up on the rules of the law just on breaking them and making them and not on keeping them.

Vaughn Palmer today

Vaughn Palmer wrote something of worth today about this very email issue before the courts, morechatter. It shows that Campbell's word means nothing, yet again.

http://www2.canada.com/vancouversun/columnists/story.html?id=e93f2ff3-79fc-486d-a436-f32b972bc22e

SharingIsGood

It was a good column...in fact, in relation to the 'final' disposition of certain relevant emails, it constitutes an nicely analogous parallel to Nixon's 'I am not a crook' speech...

I see Campbell and Hansen are trying hard to distract attention with an announcement about an upcoming (July 2010) move to "harmonize" the PST and the GST...

In fact, what's really going on is an attempt to 'download' a whole department of the provincial public service in order to cut a few more dollars off the provincial deficit.

And, of course, to sell off another big chunk of provincial autonomy to Pee Wee and the Feds.

When the bills come in for the Olympics maybe he’ll sell the whole province to Ottawa.

An interesting little tidbit – off topic, but interesting none the less.

I happen to know a few people in the medical field – a couple of young doctors who’re in the process of moving from one health district to another.

In this case from working in Vancouver to working in Victoria…both of these professionals have also worked in other provinces (Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario) and they’re familiar with the requirements of certification transfers and the like…

Much has been made of the attempt to remove provincial boundaries for this kind of thing and both these individuals report that the necessary paperwork is straightforward and minimal…not necessarily cheap since each jurisdiction has it’s own professional bodies…but very simple to do.

Unfortunately, the paperwork and bureaucratic hoops required to transfer billing numbers and hospital privileges from one district (or one hospital within a district) are both incredible.

Files are lost, pictures have to be re-taken and what should be pro-forma takes days to complete.

If Campbell has spent less time selling off the silverware and more time effectively managing the job he’s democratically tasked with doing, we would not be in the position we’re in today.

Political interference and PR induced busy work is endemic. Idiotic surveys and questionnaires devised by Liberal friendly consultants are endemic…The professionals and the staff know what the problem is – the idiots in the premier’s office are too busy to even listen when people with experience and knowledge (like Penny Ballem or Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond) try to help them.

These people are below contempt.

Freedom.....of Information

The BC Rail case is about the public's right to information.

Special Committee to review The Freedom of Information and Protection Of Privacy Act, Wednesday, January 21, 2004. (Apparently another one will be held this year....something to keep an eye on.)

An excerpt with thanks to private citizen, D. Sorenson who knows the meaning of freedom:

D. Sorenson: .

Why is it that every conversation I have with somebody about freedom of information starts out like this — "I believe in freedom of information" — and ends up like this — "but there are some things people just shouldn't be informed about"? Now, sentence 1 and sentence 2 should by all laws of physics create a fluttering, devouring void into which everything is sucked when they are combined into sentence 3: "I believe in freedom of information, but there are some things people just shouldn't be informed about." Bang.

It's a syntactical impossibility, a semantic impossibility. It's also completely indefensible. Time and again, people revolve around those two magical sentences, pretending to be liberal and open-minded, but they're secretly advocating thought control and are hiding an agenda that is in fact the opposite of what they espouse. No, you don't believe in the freedom of the information if you say that. You can't say you do and then espouse opinions contrary to that. No walking around proud about your ethical and moral fibre. I can't make this more clear. You don't believe in freedom of information. Say it with me: "I don't believe in freedom of information." Say it with the capitals on: "Freedom of Information — I Don't Believe In It."

I want to make one point very clear here. This is the difference between freedom and slavery. Freedom is where everyone has the option to be informed. With all due respect, my request to you as the committee members today is this. If you do not believe in freedom of information and the strengthening of that ideal, then please leave the room. As a stakeholder in the province under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, I hereby formally request the names of all government officials that this committee reports to, and the names of the people who will make any changes to this act based on any documented information not submitted to the FOI Act forums, and also decisions resolving from those presentations and documents submitted to the FOIA forums. I request all transmission documents, slips, notes, written opinions, executive files, control records, system file movements, instructions, documents, reminder actions, notes, e-mails, raw data, rough drafts, secondary-level information, memos, dictations, any data held apart from the main forum submissions, MLA input, documentation, deputy minister and minister responsible for the FOI Act. Disclosure of information should include a cover sheet providing a record identifying all information disclosed as well as all information withheld.

Freedom...of Information contd.

One of the biggest problems that we have is to find out: how many documents is the government withholding, how many documents is the public body withholding or severing — or severed input, drafts, committee submissions to senior officials, press releases, FOIA commission drafts?

"It is the commission's responsibility to ensure that the information is gathered and maintained in compliance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. I'm sure you are aware that the committee has no authority to arbitrarily exclude all or any part of the records from the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. You are reminded that compliance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act provides that you provide disclosure within 30 days of receipt of this notice of request. Thank you.

Now, what I've done is essentially made a formal freedom-of-information request, and I expect this committee to honour it. One of the problems we had with the core review is that we waited for a year. We were constantly told that the Minister of Labour was going to come back with committee reports. We sat there and waited, and we phoned, and we contacted them. They almost treated us like we were harassing them because we wanted to find out the information.

I'm really, really worried about the accountability. I hope this just isn't a smokescreen here, that it isn't just a hidden agenda, that somewhere behind this gathering here and the gatherings that were supposed to be in Kelowna, that were supposed to be in Prince George…. I question that. There's something wrong there when you can't get this advertised sufficiently that you're going to attract the people that are going to make a contribution to this committee. "

Mr. Sorenson asks a good question:

"That's why it's so important that we are able to utilize a freedom-of-information act. Now, when you read this act…. Sometimes I say this is the "suppression of information act" because there are so many doors that are closed to people, which they can't get into to find the information.

" What I'm asking you to do is to open the doors. Those people who contravene this act…. I've never heard of anybody being charged under this act, who ever paid $5,000 or $1,000 for not fulfilling their obligations under the act. Perhaps somebody could advise me here if that has ever been done. Has anybody ever paid a fine for not producing the information?"

Airing the dirty linen...

"Why is it that every conversation I have with somebody about freedom of information starts out like this — "I believe in freedom of information" — and ends up like this — "but there are some things people just shouldn't be informed about"? Now, sentence 1 and sentence 2 should by all laws of physics create a fluttering, devouring void into which everything is sucked when they are combined into sentence 3: "I believe in freedom of information, but there are some things people just shouldn't be informed about." Bang."

Absolutely excellent observations, Mr Sorenson.

It's like the publishing of brutal war photos and stories, or "private" corporate "financial statements and tax information". Let it all hang out. Let "the people" be privy to everything of government and the corporate powerful... ohhh, and the cops and security services. Ordinary folks may then have a more real view of their society, and be less accused of naive ignorances. As it is, they can only have their often surprisingly accurate urban legend suspicions and assumptions that "They are all a bunch of goddamn crooks."

And make no mistake, that's the majority Little People's real view of Victoria, Ottawa and the whole "system", through which they have to try and work and survive like tip-toeing a minefield.

But of no small value, it MAY better help to keep those in power, while the system lasts, at least, "somewhat" more honest... again, perhaps. In any case it will increase their stress level angst by making it so that they'll have to work harder at covering their shag ups and outright criminal behaviours, and hopefully, making them easier discovered in the process.

As it is, the system is rife with deceit, and there are too limited and frustrated ways anyone, at least for the "little people" can even know about it. Here, around railgate, is but one more case in point of the criminal greed driven underpinnings to the entire system.

And some wonder why so many are just walking away from it!!! That's the real surprise.

Liberal deviousness and lies know no bounds

After today press conference about harmonizing PST and GST and the whole scam being "revenue neutral", I don't know how anyone would believe anything that came out of Campbell's mouth. Shifting the burden of taxation from business to individuals and then trying to smoke screen your way to it being a good thing, have they no shame. Deleted emails are small stuff compared to the action of these guys. Give me a few fast ferries every ten years as a blunder and I will still be much better off and so will every other BC'er.

"like tip-toeing a minefield"

Yes, the astute Mr. Sorenson's observations are a breath of fresh air....as are yours, coyoteman:

"And make no mistake, that's the majority Little People's real view of Victoria, Ottawa and the whole "system", through which they have to try and work and survive like tip-toeing a minefield.

But of no small value, it MAY better help to keep those in power, while the system lasts, at least, "somewhat" more honest... again, perhaps. In any case it will increase their stress level angst by making it so that they'll have to work harder at covering their shag ups and outright criminal behaviours, and hopefully, making them easier discovered in the process."

SKywalker

Don't know what will have sweetened the deal for Hansen and Campbell but I'm sure there's a reach around coming from Flaherty.

Ontario got a one-time 4.3 billion dollar payment for agreeing to 'harmonize' its provincial sales tax with the GST.

I reckon Hansen and Gord will be waiting for a nice fat cheque of say 2 billion beans to help them with the little problem they've got with the budget...and of course, there's a whole department to be eliminated since the Feds will now be doing all the collections.

It's just another tax giveaway to big business and it won't do a thing for the retail customer or the small businesswoman and man..in fact, if BC weren't in a deficit position there is NO WAY Campbell would ever consider it - he's desperate.

That's all.

@ G West

The cheque from Harper is going to be 1.6 billion$$$$

Funny thing though,Harper has no money,there is only one tax-payer,any money being doled out is borrowed money,but you are correct,Campbell`s desperate.