I am unable to attend the Basi-Virk trial today and Thursday but my colleagues in the media are doing a fine job reporting on today's testimony.
The Globe's Rod Mickleburgh reports that former BC Rail board of directors member Brian Kenning told BC Supreme Court about perks and the politics of selling BC Rail, including golf club memberships.
The Sun's Neal Hall says BC Rail bought over $100,000 worth of Vancouver Canucks hockey tickets - after the railway had been sold to CN Rail.
That information coming with Kenning being vigorously cross examined by Kevin McCullough - representing accused former BC Liberal aide Bob Virk.
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14 comments:
Good press coverage on this story....would have liked to have watched it on CPAC as well.
The BC fiberals are "entitled to their entitlements".
A 54% salary increase for Gordo and 30% for MLA's while ZERO % over ten years for those on minimum wage, and the highest rate of child poverty in Canada for SEVEN years in a row.
Free tickets for all(Fiberal appointees).
Gordo really has managed to pull off the title of being the biggest money wasters this province has ever seen. What balderdash that he is good at managing this provinces finances.
Interesting how he uses tax payer money to stay in power.....give your friends lots of government taxpayer money, then have them return some of it in the form of donations to the Liberal party. What an incestuous bunch.
All that padding on the public dime that happened after the sale went down (including the continued payment of $6,000 per month to Mr. Patrick Kinsella for 'strategic advice') was, in my opinion, a glaring example of crony capitalism at its worst.
But what I'm really interested in is what went down BEFORE the sale.
And to bring that all out into the cold, hard light of day we need to start establishing rigorous timelines.
Timelines like....
This.
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BILL:
A Clear and Present Anger ?
Looking at where the anti-HST drive is going it certainly looks like its not going to Carole James and the same old appeasement NDP.(and no I don't think the BC Conservative Party is going anywhere either)
At this point in BC everyone is simply pissed off at the entire system, and as a result there are no winners here, just various degrees of losers.
But there is at this moment anger in . . . The Most Corrupt Place on Earth!
Over the past week I have been in Sacramento, San Francisco & Reno and had a chance to watch the various Republican primary-races for Governor, Senate and the House up close.
At the federal & state levels the GOP is fragmenting with the newer blood moving to the hard-right of the Tea Party and "beyond", and the old cash crowd (their version of our Howe Street Mafia) standing there like a deer in the headlights.
The Tea Party movement brings together a diverse collection of the Right with ultimately only one common factor and that too is anger, anger at all things status quo.
I believe that both movements share a common anger and sense of betrayal at the hands of all their politicians.
Stateside the Tea Party harbours a taste for revenge both political and physical of any some sort against the traditional Right, the Centre and certainly the Left. (if some in this crowd doesn't see victory in November they will be down at the local gun store)
The question for us is, what direction does BC's anger go and does the anti-HST movement have a post recall plan ?
Having started a movement, the anti-HST crowd better not just declare a time out once they get their recall.
The GREAT SATAN
I appreciate The Great Satan's 7:55PM post, particularly when he/she writes: "The question for us is, what direction does BC's anger go and does the anti-HST movement have a post recall plan?"
Ms. Gregrory--
Unfortunately, I do not appreciate the suggestion that 'movements' like the Tea Party have any redeeming value whatsoever.
Why?
First, they are the inventions of propagandists with veiled true intentions that hide behind the preposterous (and corrosive) concept of the 'noble lie'.*
Second, they really are dangerous. Like Mr. Satan, I too have spent considerable time in California recently and I honestly believe that the fear-based hysteria that is being whipped up by the Tea Party propagandists will lead to tragedy at the barrel of a firearm or firearms.
____
*Of course some, myself included, have concluded that Mr.Campbell himself has used the noble lie to justify both his statements and his subsequent contradictory actions before and after each of the last three successive provincial elections.
_____
Finally, for the record, I do not agree that there have been 'no winners' here.
To the contrary, there have been a select few really, really big winners.
Bill:
With respect to Martyn Brown, you will recall that on June 9th, 2010 you posted the following comment from me:
“Given that it is the last refuge of the “Man” with no moral compass, I am assuming that the Defence is keeping count of the “I don’t remember(s)”!”
Between Brown and Kenning I wonder what the total count is up to now.
Why are Campbell and Hansen, being so stubborn about staying in office? Just about, 90% of the people, want them gone. BC citizens know, Campbell has filled his wallet, and the wallets of his business buddies. Look what has happened to our hydro, going private, and going up in increments to 33%. Campbell said, the BC Rail wasn't going to be sold. So the BC Liberals, set out to try and devalue the BCR's worth. And then, fraudulently sold, the BCR out. My brother, worked for the BCR, and said, it was a, dammed good money maker. Campbell, Hansen, and the phony BC Liberal party, should be run out of town, on the BC Rail, that is, if we still had it. The CNR. and the BC Rail, are in such bad repair now. The US, has not got, Canada's high standards for safety. Derailments, are becoming more frequent, with many more citizens, having to be evacuated.
I am shocked at how incompetent the Official Opposition research team is at not being able to bring this to the public's attention. Canuck tickets, BC Lions tickets, junkets to the far east (first class no doubt). All clear examples of a government out of control.
Why didn't the NDP raise these issues during the last campaign? This material is PUBLIC!
Given the prices of Canuck tickets, only money losing crown corps can afford them. I wonder how much BC Hydro pays the Canucks? We all know that they bought Olympic tickets.
How is it corporate buddies of BC Libs need a tax break when they can afford those perks ?
HST means most of us cant afford a ppv game on tv never mind season tickets the inept leaders of this govt charade of thievery should be swinging from trees on nooses , ill take recall though none of these bums are worth doin time over.
Bill,
do you know when the lobbyist for Omni Track will testify? I know he cut an imunity deal so he couldn't be charged,should be the tip of the ice berg?!
To Anon 9:47 and others: the schedule of witnesses called by the prosecution remains mostly unknown. Two lobbyists for OmniTRAX - Erik Bornmann and Brian Kieran - are Crown witnesses.
The next expected witness is John McLernan, former chair of BC Rail.
I'm guessing that the,
'secert witness' will be last to call?
Like 2 years from now....
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