I will be participating in a Globe and Mail newspaper online discussion about unanswered questions from the Basi-Virk/BC Legislature Raid case on Wednesday October 20 at 1 p.m. BC time.
I will be joining Globe reporter Mark Hume, who has extensively covered the charges against David Basi and Bob Virk that ended with a surprise guilty plea bargain on Monday, to answer questions about the case.
You can post questions in advance or live on Wednesday at 1 p.m. through the Globe link above.
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27 comments:
This government will not stop until they are forced out. Demonstrably the law will not do that - it is time for a general strike. We need leadership to call for action.
The people of british Columbia need to show Pinocchio, Gordon "the liar" Campbell, that they will make a difference.
As previously stated, a general strike will serve notice that the people of this once fair province, will no longer put up with the disgraceful and disgusting behaviour as shown by the BC Liberal party, towards the people of British Columbia.
A couple of one day strikes will do and then follow up with the RECALL IN THE FALL.
Something must be done or this province will fall into complete disarray.
Thank you
The Basi gang were getting interviewed on channel 12 around 5 PM today. soft ball questions by Sashi Kurl(sp) What a pile of BS. They showed the two houses the guys owned and pegged them at half a mil. which was way under the value.
Not one pointed question and no clear answer but I must say, the have their lines well memorized. seems they have no problem sleeping and want to spend time with their families. Painful to watch
Should British Columbians Have A Public Inquiry In Relation To The Sale Of B.C. Rail?
Simple Poll Here
http://bcrailpoll.wordpress.com/
I am actually in shock over the Basi-Virk affair and reeling over the fact that we really ARE a banana republic. I am also seriously questioning the independence of the judiciary and the RCMP (is it only coincidence that the RCMP is negotiating a 20 year renewal at the same time Basi and Virk reach a quick plea bargain?!)
And, it is shocking how much of the MSM is actively working with the Liberals to cover up this morass of corruption. (Just when you think the Vancouver Sun coverage couldn't possibly get any worse, it sinks to a new low.)
Kudos to you and Mark Hume for hosting the Q&A session on the Globe and Mail (which has had pretty decent coverage of this scandal). However I am posting my questions here.
I feel a lot of empathy for Basi and Virk and can certainly understand why they took the deal. Yes their actions were criminal but they were just small-time players. And they have lived in limbo for seven years, determined to prove their innocence (at least in the overall context) until they got an offer that was simply too good to refuse.
So, that said, here are my questions:
1. What is going to happen to the evidence? Rumour has it that it is all going to be destroyed asap.
2. The BC government illegally erased all Basi-Virk related emails in May 2009 during the provincial election. Wasn't that breaking the law? if so, what were the consequences, if any?
3. Why isn't anybody talking about the blatant conflict of interest presented by key players:
a) The special prosecutor, Bill Berardino . . . How on earth can he be independent from government when he has been long-time law partners with two key Liberal insiders, Geoff Plant and Alan Seckl??! seriously, what's up with that?!
b)Also, what's up with the RCMP investigator, Insp. Kevin Debruyckere, who is the brother-in-law of B.C. Liberal Party executive director Kelly Reichert?? Why didn't the the RCMP inspector excuse himself from the Basi-Virk investigation?
Finally, the real questions:
who has benefitted from the sale of BC rail and who has not?
And why did Gordon Campbell sell this crown asset at a loss?
just sign me:
"still reeling but thank God for recall"
I am actually in shock over the Basi-Virk affair; we really ARE a banana republic. I am also seriously questioning the independence of the judiciary and the RCMP (is it only coincidence that the RCMP is currently negotiating a 20 year renewal?)
And, it is shocking how much of the MSM is actively working with the Liberals to cover up this morass of corruption. (Just when you think the Vancouver Sun coverage couldn't possibly get any worse, it sinks to a new low.)
Kudos to the Globe and Mail (which has had pretty decent coverage of this scandal).
I feel a lot of empathy for Basi and Virk. Yes their actions were criminal but they were just small-time players. And they have lived in limbo for seven years fighting for the big picture to be revealed.
So, some questions:
1. What is going to happen to the evidence? Rumour has it that it is all going to be destroyed asap.
2. The BC government illegally erased all Basi-Virk related emails in May 2009 during the provincial election. Wasn't that breaking the law? if so, what were the consequences, if any?
3. Why isn't anybody talking about the blatant conflict of interest presented by key players:
a) The special prosecutor, Bill Berardino . . . How on earth can he be independent when he has been long-time law partners with two key Liberal insiders, Geoff Plant and Alan Seckl??!
b)Also, what's up with the RCMP investigator, Insp. Kevin Debruyckere, who is the brother-in-law of B.C. Liberal Party executive director Kelly Reichert??
Finally, the real questions:
Who has benefitted from the sale of BC rail and who has not?
Why did Gordon Campbell reverse himself and then sell this crown asset at a loss?
What does Paul Nettleton have to say?
just sign me:
"still reeling but thank God for recall"
Why are we paying $6 million in legal fees for two political appointees who admitted guilt?
Make the BC Liberal party pay. Better yet, get Campbell, Reid and Collins to cover the tab out of their own pockets.
$6 million defence costs paid by taxpayers on behalf of 3 fiberal operatives.
How much will prosecution cost (including Public Affairs bureau monitoing) taxpayers?
An independent inquiry is needed.
six lawyers for the Defense
nine lawyers for the Crown
Six million for the Defense
Nine million for the Crown?
No one word from Sean Holman's Public Eye on Railgate this week!Incredible.
Thank goodness you are covering the BC Rail Fiberal Party corruption trial, Bill.
All 8 items on his web site this morning - dated Oct 17 to 20th - are his version of the NDP leadership issue.
One can hardly wait for his slanted Sunday morning "Fiberal Hour" with 3 to 4 Fiberal ancients - and a rightwing Times-Colonist - on his panel.
I'd like to know what he means by the following comment:
"People are asking us, well, were you bought off, were you bought off, right?" he said. "Were you silent? And we have no comments and I must refer you to the attorney-general's office. That's the thing."
Why would we have to ask the attorney-general?
Dave Basi as reported by Ian Mulgrew, Vancouver Sun October 20, 2010
if it is agreed that someone is guilty of accepting a bribe then someone is guilty of giving a bribe. this means the bc rail process was tainted: virk and basi are not the end of the story
To all the other disgraceful things one can say about the Honourable Gordon Campbell we can now add world class coward!
Gordo a life long hyper control-freak to now turn around and say Bask & Virk "did it all themselves and no one in his government of fart-catchers knew nothing of it" ??!!
Certainly Basi, Virk, the Spiderman and Company, these (aging) Young Federal Liberal Storm Troopers were guilty . . . since they all came up through and were trained by the BC Martinites since 1997 to do just this kind of thing and worse.
But these youthful gangsters would never do anything without checking with the Honourable Godfather first, and making sure Godfather got his cut too.
We are today faced with Campbell and his league of Howe Street Plutocrats the likes of Falcon, De Jong and Coleman in power until 2013!
SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE TO LIQUIDATE THIS VERMIN NOW!
The GREAT SATAN
Gary Mason is reporting in today's Globe and Mail that in exchange for the taxpayers paying for the $6 million (is it more?) in legal fees, the defendants had to sign a non disclosure agreement. Any questions asked of them by the press should be answered thusly: "I must refer you to the attorney general's office".
From the Globe & Mail: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/british-columbia/gary_mason/its-time-to-come-clean-on-bc-rail-plea-deal/article1764612/
This stinks more than my pigs'pen.
Thanks for comments and sorry if posting has been delayed - some issues with posting from my cell phone email but be patient and all will appear.
CherylB...you would have to ask the Attorney General because.....in order to get their lawyers fees paid by us the taxpayer....they had to sign a non-disclosure agreement. In other words, we are paying them not to talk to us. Only in BC eh?!
Hang the whole damn lot of them upside down from a light post in downtown Vancouver...'til they beg to tell the truth. Including the law types.
"The people of british Columbia need to show Pinocchio, Gordon "the liar" Campbell, that they will make a difference.
As previously stated, a general strike will serve notice that the people of this once fair province, will no longer put up with the disgraceful and disgusting behaviour as shown by the BC Liberal party, towards the people of British Columbia.
A couple of one day strikes will do and then follow up with the RECALL IN THE FALL."
One day stirkes will only hurt the economy and people will be out a day's pay (assuming they actually want to get in on a silly idea).
Recall in the Fall? VanderZalm, Tieleman and Delaney want that to happen in the spring.
"Something must be done or this province will fall into complete disarray."
So get out there and do something about it. Squishing butt cheeks while writing to a blog isn't going to do it.
Thank you
" (is it only coincidence that the RCMP is currently negotiating a 20 year renewal?)"
This is laughable since if this writer who has yet another conspiracy theory thought about doing some basic homework, he would find the RCMP is under a contract which has a fixed term, no matter what judicial events occur with or without them.
DPL, you missed the most important part of that Shachi Kurl interview.
When she asked the two flat out if they were guilty of the crimes they've been convicted of, Dave Basi replied: "I have a clear conscience, I can sleep at night." This is about as close to line as he can go without legally perjuring himself.
Remember, these aides were Liberal operatives deep inside the bowels of the Campbell government at the time. If you think they are the real culprits behind all this, then you essentially share Campbell's line. The sheer anger and contempt Campbell expressed toward Basi/Virk in media interviews yesterday is one of the greatest acts of psychological projection by a politician you'll ever witness.
Basi and Virk are no angels. But they took marching orders from even bigger demons. And that's the crime we may never come to know.
BC people knew, the trial of, Campbell's corrupt sale of the BCR, was nothing but a farce. That was pathetically easy to see through. Of course, De Jong would refuse any further investigation. He knows, Campbell would never be able to make it through the witnesses coming up. It's just more of the BC Liberals dirty tactics, the BC citizens have to contend with. BC isn't known as the most corrupt province in Canada for nothing. The BC Liberal governing officials, are the most corrupt, and the worst politicians, in the history of Canada. We have a criminal as a leader. I guess that says it all why, BC is the most corrupt province in Canada. How disgraceful is that? The BC Liberals, seem proud of their corruption. It wasn't beneath their dignity, to lie, deceive and cheat to win.
Response to Ron at 8:02 a.m. - Sean Holman's Public Eye Radio on CFAX AM 1070 regularly features what you call 3 -4 "Fiberal ancients".
In fact, Allan Warnke is a former BC Liberal MLA from the Gordon Wilson era who broke with the party and Gordon Campbell years ago. Allan is one of the most outspoken critics of the current BC Liberals and teaches political science.
Eleanor Gregory was once a BC Liberal constituency president in the distant past and has also broke with the BC Liberals under Campbell. She endorsed Gregor Robertson for mayor, the NDP's Jenn McGinn in the Vancouver-Fairview by-election and election and has regularly ripped her former party.
Sheila Orr is a former BC Liberal MLA from the Campbell era but has publicly stated that Gordon Campbell should resign as premier.
I think this demonstrates that contrary to your expressed views, these folks are hardly towing the BC Liberal line.
In fact, I'm sure Campbell wishes - as you seem to - that they were no longer on Holman's show.
I disagree.
What Campbell and his cabinet are doing to BC are basically acts of TREASON
Treason == The act of betraying ones country.#2 any betrayal of trust. Both of these apply to Campbell.and his cabinet
Another government should not be obligated to accept what could be Campbell's acts of TREASON
Bill
Just checked the Public Eye site -still nothing on one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in the political history of our province.
But full of gossip about the NDP.
While all panelists are "ex-Liberals" it has not meant that they now view events from a social democratic perspective.
I still like hear a spectrum of views - and tire of almost constant criticisms of the current opposition party and its leader.
I cannot remember a single plaudit from this panel on the conduct of either the leader of the opposition or the opposition critics. Perhaps there was one, but I missed it.
Ron, if I may in Sean's defence…
Sean is just one guy with none of the backing of the major news organizations like Palmer and Bladrey.
Some bloggers, and other non-mainstream media types, have to pick their niche and leave the bigger stories of the day to the larger news outlets and higher profile media types (such as Bill).
That is not to say that I think Holman's niche is NDP back-room gossip -- or that it should be -- just that the independents out there don't have the resources to cover what's already being well covered in the MSM.
IMO, that's the way it should be. Holman covers stuff that the big fish don't as a result. I've noticed he writes a lot about the Ministry of Children and Family Development… perhaps that is his "specialty"? It should also be noted that Sean has broken several stories in the past, too, that eventually surfaced in the MSM.
For the record, I'm not a journalist or an acquaintance of Sean's, just a political news junkie. So yes, my knowledge of how these guys work is some what limited... maybe Bill could comment further.
What Campbell and his cabinet are doing to BC are basically acts of TREASON
Treason == The act of betraying ones country.#2 any betrayal of trust. Both of these apply to Campbell.and his cabinet
Another government should not be obligated to accept what could be Campbell's acts of TREASON"
Another laughable statement. Treason as a judicial offence applies to harm done to a national interest and the citizens as a whole entity, not a province, and there needs to be profound evidence of such wrongdoing. Nothing of the sort was ever shown in the trial.
British Columbia is a subset jurisdiction within one country. It is not a country into itself.
I'm sure the people of Port Aux Basque Nlfd or Bradon Manitoba have little if any idea who Basi and Virk was and specificaly what they did other than what they saw on CTV news.
If the poster thinks there was treason committed, go and get a lawyer and state the case for it, and then pay the fees to file a Statement of Claim.
Adding to the discussion about Sean Holman's media contributions, I must say that I admire him and pay a monthly support contribution. I won't waste money subscribing to Vancouver dailies because I fault them (and Global TV and Corus) for the Campbell government escaping accountability.
Holman, I think, was a Liberal years ago (so was I) but grew disaffected (so did I) and has dedicated himself to objective reporting (Not me!). Indeed, I know he is respected on both sides of the Legislature and by Vicki Huntington, the only independent elected.
Other ordinary people ought to step up and support Public Eye because there are no big companies or agencies writing cheques to Sean just to curry favor.
Cancel your Postmedia subscription, send the money to Public Eye.
"na" & Norm
Thanks for the kind comments. With regards to my lack of coverage of the legislature raid trial, "na" has it right. I'm a single journalist, with all the inherent limitations that entails. I simply don't have the resources to cover multiple issues.
Since I broke the story about the current crisis within the New Democrats, I've felt compelled stayed on that issue for the time being - just as I was previously hammering away on the ministry of energy, mines and petroleum resources. The rest of the media, in the meantime, is doing a fine job of covering the legislature raid case without me.
Indeed, Bill in particular has provided some of the most detailed, groundbreaking coverage of the trial since day one. There's no need for me to duplicate his work - especially since, living in Victoria, I have no access to the Vancouver courthouse.
If there's somewhere I can jump in and make a unique contribution, I will. But I don't see any sense in chasing the herd. If Public Eye had more journalists, things would be different. But it doesn't.
Hope this helps explain things.
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