Yeah
I heard that k*v*n f*l*o* received ******* and ******** for rubberstamping the ra*, I mean C*na** l*n*!!
And for selling our forest industry down the river m*ke d*y**** and r*ch ****ma* are each slated for juicy, post-political appointments on the board of directors of *****f*r and *********er.
Why its "the most open and accountable government in the history of BC!"

The whole area, not only of information gathering but of information dissemination, is under attack. Particularly, those using this medium should be concerned as this vehicle is under assault from without and within.

Any consistent reader of message boards can't help but become aware of the self-censorship at play. Is the medium to be yielded solely to the mealymouthed or those out to remove its teeth?

Since, we too, are in the information business, a quote in today's Vancouver Sun by German Chancellor Angela Therkel seems quite appropriate, "Self-censorship out of fear is not tolerable." This followed a decision to not perform Mozart's opera Idomeneo because of the beheaded religious icons portrayed.

Like, when I couldn't find any trace of information about the pre-trial hearings for Basi, Virk, and Basi ... and I e.mailed "edit@tc.canwest.ca" asking why ... I was told by the Editor-in-Chief that (a) Yes, the hearings had taken place, (b) that nothing of note happened, (c) that Times Colonist had a reporter in the courtroom, but that (d) they decided not to publish anything about it. Oh yes, "And when there is news, we plan to publish it."

I immediately posted this information on The Legislature Raids, as it was the first scrap of news since June '06, of Basi & Virk as we wait to learn the meaning of that police raid on the BC Legislature.

Then I wrote again asking if CanWest editors would reconsider letting the reporter write up his report, and received a threatening response. Seems Times Colonist was angry that even this bit of info had been given out. They provided no further information. So, although I asked twice, I still can't tell you when the Trial of the Century is going to begin.

And it was a shock to have to accept (at long last)convincing evidence that this is exactly how CanWest wants it to be.

It was stunning, the degree of disconnect between the CanWest editors and their readers. These newsmen seemed shocked to find that anybody is interested.

They seemed completely unaware that British Columbians have a right to know these things. Obviously, it's so much easier to accuse the public of being "apathetic" which even this Tyee did, in a McLintock anniversary story on the Legislature Raids. More at:

http://bctrialofbasi-virk.blogspot.com/

FOI was a big deal with the NDP Government so of course Gordon and the gang don't like it. Faily simple conclusion but if you have a better one let us all know about it.

Re: My previous post on the opera cancellation. I doubt we have heard the end of this.

Further info may be had at:http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/27/world/europe/27germany.html?_r=1&th&emc=th&oref=slogin

Could it happen here? A good question.

BC Mary,

Will you give it up.....nobody cares about Basi/Virk. Seriously - you should find an issue that resonates with people.

I bet you 1/2 of BCers couldn't even tell you who Basi and Virk are. The reason why Canwest is oblivious to this, is because nobody pays attention when they report it....

Move on....

Again, what is the purpose of the fall sitting of the legislature, when the party with a majority doesn't plan on doing anything....

I've got an idea...let's pay thousands on hotel bills, per diems, and other expenses to have these people hang around!!!

So that the gov't is available to be questioned by the elected members of the legislature.

Surely you're not claiming democracy is too expensive?

As for Basi/Virk. People would care about it if they knew anything about it worth caring about. lack of information being available means people don't think about it. Ah, if only the media would give equal attention to the Olympics since most of us don't plan on going to that either.

Capitalism:
Basi and Virk are not forgotten!
Unfortunately there are hundreds of items that need public scrutiny, but when the legislature does not sit, how can the opposition question anything?
It is quite obvious that the media is in the pocket of Gordo (and Harpo); the media will not report anything that may tarnish their glory.
Notice how carefully the yend every report about cost overruns with a quote from our glorious leader?

Cap, old bean: state your case more clearly. You're probably onto something here.

You think the public should be kept in the dark, cured of their illusions about good citizenship, made to work hard, pay taxes, stay home nights and shut up. Did I get that right?

BTW, I can't say I care a whole lot about Basi, Virk, Basi, or bureaucrats as a species.

But I sure as hell care a lot about what RCMP Sgt. John Ward said on 29 Dec. 2003, when explaining why 32 police needed to raid the B.C. Legislature ... an honour which no other Llegislature in Canada had ever received.

OK, Cap ... ohm ... ohhmmmm ... let your mind go blank ... ohhmmmmmmm.

Cappy, you pro democracy dog, the best part of Western (Canadian) democracy, is no democracy at all! You must be in 7th heaven, as you beloved Campbell crew go along spending the taxpayers money with no accountability at all. It's "just like shovelling money of a truck!".

All you lefties out there, you must hang your head in shame, where is your fearless leasder? Where is the 'glorious' wet noodle, who should be selling her message across the province "not a dime without debate!"

Even on brand-x today a Campbell crony was calling Gordo's pal, Furlong, incompetent and should be fired. When the political friends start dissing you (look what happened to Sam "the unwise" Sullivan in the Sun yesterday.) it's time to pack the bags for Maui, find a bimbette and leave permanently!

Is the Westside creme de la creme Liberal/Socred politcal elite crumbling?

Measures meant to place a check on governments are doomed from the word go. I can think of not a single one which has done anything but become more and more power hungry over time. If you believe checks can balance this tendency I have a Winter Olympics run without cost over runs I would like to sell you ... SUCKER!

Thank you Russ Francis for showing us the ultimate irony. Non illegitimi te carborundum.

Capitalism She, BC Mary makes great senSe! I follow her www every day!
I'd love to find out why the hush, hush is going on in OUR goverment "The People of British Columbia" are paying their gluttinious saleries???
"YOU GO BC MARY"
Make the real culperTs pay!
Make/Take back real Democracy Now starting with the 2003 Legislature Raids Someone was brave enough to come forward with Very Serious Crimes against the People!
"EVER WHY THERE ARE NO LAWS TO PROTECT WHISKLE BLOWERS"?

Is it too much to ask for government to simply systematically put everything on the web? Buy a few Adobe PDF licenses and get every department on the program. There is no substitute for open, transparent government. Perhaps a commitment like this would finally get the NDP out of the Dog House of political credibility.

Passaglias; yeah I agree, just like they do in Venezuela, right?
Or how about the openness in Somalia?
How about some balance here.

I think we should strive to have the most open government in the world. There is nothing wrong with trying to be the best. If this is to be a democracy, then we should be informed when we make our decisions, our choices - otherwise, our decisions may not be wise.

Hey, things are looking up. V.Palmer told us this evening about the new deal "Talking to BCers with Gordo". seems the new site has some comments about Gordo and his brother in law plus one ADMs trip to assorted places in the UK and Europe, to look at health care issues. It seems what he produced was more like a briefing paper than a reason for the trip. Reason for the trip. Hell, BC was paying, Gordo wanted a few days off so, we paid for the tickets. Unfortunatly the Deputy couldn't go along as she was sorting things out as one old woman had died after being ahuled away to some remote spot, far from her family. Mind you the Deputy walked off the job shortly there after, another story we will never ever hear the reasons for it happening. We are such fools. and I for one want to hear about the reason the Legislative buildings were raided and all by senior cops. Not a rookie in the group. and the sooner the better. I tried as BC Mary to find out when the case was coming up. Used to be the assorted courts had lists of upcoming events. I can't seem to find it anymore. Our courts, our judges, our staff, our politicians, but none of our business

Passaglias Left Foot
Excellent idea. What is there to hide anyway. If government - including the minutes of cabinet meetings - can be as open as it is in Scandinavia then why not here too?

We can't even find out what the news of the latest court schedules are here.

You have to wonder what they're hiding>

The legislature is useful if you need/want to debate the merits of proposed bills.

They don't have anything planned, and as a result there is nothing to debate. They can sit around and blast each other about each others' record - but they do that in the media anyway.

This is a democracy...and there are several forces that hold them accountable. I just don't see the big deal - I truly don't.

BC Mary - the fact that no elected official has been arrested given most British Columbians some comfort that this isn't really a reflection of much, other than a couple of bad hires.

It was a black eye on the Liberals, especially in a time when they didn't need one - right in the middle of their cutting regime.

It is amazing though - the government laid off over 1/3 of its workforce, drastically reduced spending - and most haven't even seen a real reduction in the quality of services. Look to the Libs 50%+ approval rate for evidence of this....

Someone on this site once compared the Tyee forum to a scene from One Flew over the Cuckoo's nest.

It's easy to see why. Collins must lol every time he does an inverted overhead harmonious loop.

No disrespect Russ, the story is OK.

On 29 Dec. 2003, RCMP Staff Sgt. John Ward spoke about the police raids on the B.C. Legislature -- an event which had never happened to a House of Assembly in all of Canada's history.

It took 32 policemen at sergeant-level, to haul away the documents and hard-drives.

Most of us could choke that down while awaiting the "official" explanation. From our elected leaders, it never came. "I know nothing," said the premier. "The police have never phoned me," said the prime minister.

It was Sgt. Ward who told us why we should worry: organized crime had seeped into all levels of society in the past 2 years, he said. It has reached critical mass, he said. Nobody should be surprised by this raid, he said.

People who understand these things, tell me that the situation as it now stands, shows many signs of collusion: that a deal will be quietly struck behind the scenes, and nothing will ever be known. And if nothing is known, nothing will change.

You think that's OK, Cap? I don't. I don't want this beautiful province to develop under the control of organized crime.

And here's the litmus test. Sgt Ward also told us about the $6 Billion annual cash trade in BC Bud.

Will someone in government authority, like Carole Taylor, Wally Oppal, or Gordon Campbell, investigate and explain the effect this illicit trade is having on the BC economy?

And if it's a good effect (as some people tell me), why not seek to legitimize BC Bud, control it, tax it, eliminate the crooks and eliminate their undercover influences.

I think you've chosen an untenable position, Capitalism, when you try to stop us from asking the legitimate questions about how we are governed.

As for Basi et al, I don't for a moment believe that they're career criminals who acted alone; au contraire. And that's why it's important that they tell their story under oath and presumably under our collective protection.

My case in point - You go Girl!

I think the Tyee ought to have the first ever online wedding, marry up BC Mary with the BC Dude.

I can imagine the subsequent divorce headlines - Electronic Duo Disconnected because of malnutrition caused by excessive negative brain electrons. - "One saved" after separation but left with a brain functioning at less than one turd capacity.

In anticipation

Barely an hour goes by without you ceasing to amaze me. Let me say this one more time just for you BC Mary - "THERE IS NO CONSPIRACY" at work, only Liberals working together as Government, and if the New Democrats wish to displace them they should gather themselves together and conspire to replace them.

However, A few tired out mattresses on the nightly news isn't going to do much. Moreover it would not surprise me in the least to learn those redundant "dirty washroom" clips they keep playing over and over again was the original handiwork of someone like the BC Dude.

Poor Gassy ... when did I EVER say there was a conspiracy? Never, that's when.

While we await the return and much anticpated response of the BC Dude, (who likely relieving himself in a corner) somewhere. My personal favorite deserves a replay.

I think the Tyee ought to have the first ever online wedding, marry up BC Mary with the BC Dude. I can imagine the subsequent divorce headlines - Electronic Duo Disconnected because of malnutrition caused by excessive negative brain electrons. - "One saved" after separation but left with a brain functioning at less than one turd capacity.

After which it will likely require a turd reading.

Poor, poor Gassy.

I suspect one of the reasons FOI’s are declining, is that the government ministries have been so mangled that no one knows who does what. I truly pity my Provincial colleagues, as this governments main response to any crisis is the reorganize yet again.

And if it's a good effect (as some people tell me), why not seek to legitimize BC Bud, control it, tax it, eliminate the crooks and eliminate their undercover influences.

This is actually falls under the contols of the fed. Though, I would support paying for a report addressing the feasibility of this concept. It doesn't hurt to listen and know.

While, I agree (partially) in concept, you must consider a number of other factors. Including, the effect on society if we make marijauna use - ok - take Holland - drug use is rampant in that country.

Secondly, the effect of this on trade with the US. While the industry may be worth $6B - trade with the USA far surpasses that. We should always bend over for Uncle Sam, but at the same time we must comprehend that he pays a lot of our bills.

Finally, will this really remove organized crime. Last I heard, that bud in Flin Flon is terrible - people can't even get high!

Health Canada surely won't allow the potent hydroponic stuff that you and your friends are used to smoking - so, the underground market will remain. Furthermore, BC Bud is exchanged for US Coke and Guns - it will remain illegal in the USA - so, this element of crime will still exist.

At this point, I see the negatives outweighing the postives - but am willing to listen. However, rather than trusting a bunch of ideological elected officials to make these decisions in haste (i.e. the LPC), I would like to see a report prepared by all sides - objective and balanced....

Gasworks, you are One sad sack if ever there was one and a very immature one at that, by your imbicillic terades/raves!
There never was the word "Conspiracy" used here.
You are on the wrong thread, try 9/11 again!
As I've said BC MARY is a great political True detective holding the Fire to these so called vermin in OUR Legislature Buildings payed for by Hard earned (lately deadly in Forest Industry)Taxpayer dollars! Paying exorbiant saleries+ perks=$$ ENOUGH!
"For the People By the People" this would be true DEMOCRACY
"We The People Have The Power"
"One For All And All For One"

Canadians are a very proud People let's start showing it !
Say No to Corruption in Government Now!
Say "No" to 2010 Winter Olympics until the homeless, sick physical/mental, single family, to ever go hungry again in this Our Beautiful British Columbia and Canada.

"Corruption and hypocrisy ought not to be inevitable products of democracy, as they undoubtedly are today" : Mahatma Gandhi

Capitalism Maybelle,
Where's the evidence that drug use is rampant in Holland?

My reading of the date is that that is not the case.

should be 'data' not date above, sorry

There have been articles on websites that describe the rampant use of meth in the area of Malaysia, Philippines, VietNam, Chinacom and others.
Apparently, China can produce an Ecstasy pill for 8 cents.
That's China I'm talking about. I am sorry if Capitalism has gone wild. I never expected this.

And of course articles on websites always tell the truth and never distort data for their own purposes.

I am sorry that you didn't expect Capitalism to lead to unethical behaviour in the name of profit but maybe you should have. But that's not really the point; freedom of information is the point. Perhaps if the profiteers felt that someone would find out about their unethical behaviour they would think twice before engaging in it. Remember your Saturday morning TV- The More You Know...

That, in a nutshell, is why British Columbia needs to know the full meaning, effect, and ramifications of The Legislature Raids.

I believe that this is a good place to place "Ten Tenets from Minnesota Public Radio".

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/about/mpr/ten_tenets.php

Of course, for those tenets to be worth anything, the government must give unfettered access to unbiased information about what it is doing and what is being done to the citizens of the province.

Thank you for being, BC Mary.

Capitalism, from a day ago makes the claim “…nobody cares about Basi/Virk.” Not true Lism, and if it ain’t true it is a lie.
Is that your style, to lie?

There are connections all the way up to the now ex-Prime Minister Paul Martin.
There are issues of rigging delegates via false registrations of party members. There are allegations of influence peddling re the sale of BC rail.

That you poo, poo this issue is telling.
It tells me your preference is to have a capitalist/fascist state in BC.
All though BCMary and I have issues from another site on this issue she has more integrity and concern for this province than you and your ilk have collectively.
It is you who ought to be doing the moving on…saying your sorry ass

Virk, Basi, Clark, Collins, Marrison, Drugs, Shawnigan Lake, BC Rail, gordo...A dirty little stinkhole full of crooks. Yes, gaseous, there are many of us who wants to know the truth about the "Raid on the Ledge".There is more to see then what seems to be on the surface. gordo leads these bandits, he knows much , much more, sober him up , ask him... oops more lies I'd expect. Thank you BC Mary, keep up this most serious coverup. Shame on you gordo.

Correction:

Thank you BC Mary, keep up the coverage of this most serios coverup

Public Forum on the Cancellation of the Fall Sitting of the BC Legislature
Alice MacKay Room
Main Library
350 West Georgia Street
2 PM on Sunday, October 1
With Vancouver’s 5 Opposition MLA’s
This is our chance to voice our Democratic rights in true form!
This should be the start of a groundswell to show these so-called politicians that they are there only because of the media pushing the Greens which split/stole the NDP majority that would've been!

I gave up my subscription and I don't buy off the shelf, that's my way of telling them they are not good for Democracy.
As more and more people begin to realize that CanWest is nothing but a cheap rag only good for the bottom of the bird cage.
Maybe they will listen to the real subscribers before it's to late for them?
http://www.iwtnews.com/home

Thank you for being, BC Mary.

Oh, I much agree...I know so much of her heart is in the "BC" part of her moniker. She is simply the finest of citizen journalists.

But she needs our help and support in this as well.

Sorry, I sent that off too quickly... meant to put the thank you from Sharing is Good in quotes.

Hey there BC Mary. It seems the cop related to the Basi gang was in court yesterday in Vancouver. His lawyer was telling the folks that his client was only kidding when he was telling the guy to say the cash was from driving cabs. The amount was 30,000 dollars. I wonder who in the room besides the accused and his lawyer was buying that story. Time will tell. Oh he was also using the, it's part of our ethnic policies to help our relations or words to that effect.

Big news, DPL. Where did you find it? Is the Dosanjh trial finished now? Or what?

Minister defends record on FOI
Leter to the Editor Times Colonist
Published: Saturday, September 30, 2006
The coverage of the Campaign for Open Government, including the Times Colonist editorial and a column from the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, contain some serious omissions.

The campaigners' report conveniently ignores the majority of FOI requests that government deals with -- individuals seeking their own records. In fact, that makes up two-thirds of all requests submitted last year. While the number of requests for personal records is increasing, the number of general FOI requests has declined. This decline indicates the success of government's routine release policy.

B.C. is one of the few jurisdictions that doesn't charge a fee for submitting an FOI request, and other fees, like photocopying, have not increased since 1993.

The budget for the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of B.C. was increased 10 per cent for fiscal 2006/07.

Ministry staff have been working on the recommendations from the special legislative committee of 2004. Far from "collecting dust," the report is under active consideration. One recommendation was implemented by legislation this spring, others have been addressed through policy changes and there is an ongoing stakeholder review of the proposals.

Response times to FOI requests have been steadily improving over the past few years. Access was denied in less than four per cent of the almost 5,000 FOI requests received last year.

There is always room for improvement and we're committed to doing so. But B.C. is ahead of the pack in opening up government to public scrutiny.

Olga Ilich,

Minister of Labour,

Victoria.
-------------
I tend to take with a grain of salt anything a minster of the crown says in a Letter to the editor. But here it is

DPL, thanks to your tip, I located the information and have posted it on The Legislature Raids.

Also, I've found a web-page which gives the "Reasons for Judgments" for B.C. courts. It's a cranky site which hasn't revealed the dates or names I need as yet, but it's the best chance so far.

With perseverence, we may discover what the Judgment says regarding former Constable Dosanjh, expected in 2 weeks, i.e., around 12 October. Thanks again, DPL.

Thank you BC Mary for being the turd element who's shaking the very foundations of our governments in the Basi/Virk/ Can-West conspiracy (cover-up). I can't wait until the Tyee Police arrest the "dirty little stinkhole full of crooks".

In the meantime I intend on doing my part by holding back on laughing gas deliveries which should help wipe the smirks off their faces.

Hi there BC Mary. When the decision is rendered one way or the other on the cop involved, or not involved it will end up on the courts web sites. Great reading most of the time.
(Constable Dosanjh).

But something to remember is one of the points, conditions, of having the stuff on line, is and they used to remind us that a lot of cases will disappear from the court site after a long period of time. as I mentioned before , the staff really used ot help me out with my digging and steared me to other places as well. It was fasinating to learn about the guy actually showing up in court it took a visit to a out of province newspaper to find out. If you find somehting you might want to refer to sometime later just make a copy. Must keep an eye on the G&M BC pages in a couple of weeks

Well now there's an idea that might actually work regarding publishing the trial in the main stream media. Invite a reporter from another province (Manitoba or Saskatchewan perhaps??) to cover the story.
HMMM. Wonder if there are any main stream papers there not owned by the CanWest/Global conglomerabomination?

After chuckling at your mischievous idea, 4gen8, and thinking "Why not?" I remembered the Lesson in Media 101 given to me by an old editorial friend who explained why not. He reminded me that the expenses for a "real" reporter are the same as for anybody else.

In the case of Basi & Virk & Basi coming up in Supreme Court sometime soon, it means a Vancouver hotel, taxis to a mean section of the city, meals, costing a bare-bones minimum of $200. a day. Not counting the travel to and fro the reporter's home town, on a trial expected to take 3 months at least.

It can be done. But it needs a special effort, such as Citizen Journalists volunteering to spend a day or two in court now and then, taking notes, and then blogging their observations.

It would be a wonderful thing to do, really. It would show CanWest what it means to serve the public interest. Honestly, I don't think they know. I really think their Editor-in-Chief was shocked to discover that people really care about news which affects their province so profoundly.

Perhaps a professor in one of the colleges/universities would be willing to give it as an assignment - whereby the students get rotate and get course credit for attending and reporting the trial details.

This could be done by law professors, political science professors, or by professors in a department of Journalism.

This could kickstart a bold young person's career.

About the citizens' Right To Know ... if CanWest media decided not to let the citizens know something it certainly covers (all by itself) a lot of territory ... and British Columbia in particular:

THE CANWEST COMPANIES

Parent Companies

* CanWest Global Communications Corp.
* CanWest Media Inc.

Broadcast Companies
* DejaView Partnership
* FOX Sports World Canada Partnership
* Global Communications Limited
* Global Television Network Inc.
* Global Television Network Quebec Limited Partnership
* Global Television Specialty Networks Inc.
* Lonestar Partnership
* Men TV General Partnership
* Mystery Partnership
* Prime TV
* WIC Mobile TV Inc.
* Xtreme Sports Partnership

Newspaper Companies
* Calgary Herald Group Inc.
* CanWest Publications Inc.
* Edmonton Journal Group Inc.
* Lower Mainland Publishing Group Inc.
* Montreal Gazette Group Inc.
* Nanaimo Daily News Group Inc.
* Ottawa Citizen Group Inc.
* Pacific Newspaper Group Inc.
* Port Alberni Times Group Inc.
* ReachCanada Contact Centre Limited
* Regina Leader Post Group Inc.
* Saskatoon StarPhoenix Group Inc.
* The National Post Company
* Vancouver Island Newspaper Group Inc.
* Victoria Times Colonist Group Inc.
* Windsor Star Group Inc.

Interactive Company
* CanWest Interactive Inc.

Other divisions
* BC CHEK (CH Victoria)
* Pacific Newspaper Group
* Lower Mainland Publishing
* Nanaimo
* BC CHBC
* CHAN (Global BC)
* Calgary Herald
* Edmonton Journal
* Global Alberta
* Saskatchewan Star Phoenix
* Regina Leader Post
* Global Saskatoon (CFSK)
* Global Regina (CFRE)
* Corporate
* Global Winnipeg (CKND)
* Specialty TV Winnipeg (GTSNI)
* COOL FM (CJAZZ)
* CanWest Business Services
* Reach Canada
* National Post
* Global Toronto (CII)
* CMS
* CanWest Interactive
* Fireworks
* CanWest Publications
* The Beat
* CH Hamilton
* CITG
* Windsor Star
* Ottawa Citizen
* Montreal Gazette
* CH Montreal
* Global Quebec (CKMI)
* Global Martimes (CIHF)

Here's something to be really worried about as I'm just come across the so-called elites plan for us so-called collateral or commodities!
http://www.canadianactionparty.ca/temp/articles/Say_NO_to_Bill_C-16.asp

Gas works pathetic name calling of BC Mary fatally punctures the veracity of what he spews on these sites. He believes in democracy about as much as Sadam Hussein and Donald Rumsfeld, those pillars of power,one still clinging.

If the public do not wake up to the media control of information,their distortion, partial infroamtion and pure propaganda, what little is left of the only worthy social idea that man has ever contributed to this world will be completely lost for many generations.
Gas works types are a menace to all freedom loving people.