Tuesday, April 02, 2013

BC Conservative leader John Cummins calls "inappropriate" Premier Christy Clark's meeting with ex-candidate Sukh Dhaliwal despite his facing six federal tax charges


Another Lapse in Christy Clark's judgment?
BC Liberal candidate Marvin Hunt, ex-candidate Sukh Dhaliwal, Premier Christy Clark at Laxmi Narayan Mandir Hindu temple in Surrey on March 26 - photo from temple Facebook page
NOTE:  Updated at end of column with response from Jaspal Atwal

Bill Tieleman’s 24 Hours/The Tyee column

Tuesday April 2, 2013

By Bill Tieleman

"Religion and political expediency go beautifully hand in hand."

- Friedrich Durrenmatt, Swiss author

Premier Christy Clark held an "inappropriate" meeting last week with a former BC Liberal candidate who faces six federal charges for failing to file corporate income tax returns, says BC Conservative Party leader John Cummins.
The Tyee has learned that Clark met on Tuesday, March 26 with Sukh Dhaliwal, who resigned his nomination in Surrey-Panorama February 8 after it was learned he faced charges filed in Federal Court on Oct. 15, 2012.
Cummins said Sunday that as premier, Clark should not meet with Dhaliwal because his charges are still unresolved.
'It's inappropriate'
"You shouldn't allow your office to be involved when someone is before the courts," Cummins said in an exclusive interview. "Prudence suggests that until that matter is resolved, the premier should not be involved -- it's inappropriate."
The charges have not been heard in court and thus are unproven allegations by the federal prosecutor.
The Tyee was alerted to photos on the Facebook page of Surrey's Laxmi Narayan Mandir Hindu temple showing Clark and Dhaliwal receiving blessings with Marvin Hunt, her new BC Liberal candidate in Surrey-Panorama.
The event seems to be a political appearance, with only BC Liberal candidates present and no New Democrat MLAs in the photos.
"You have to question the premier's judgment. That judgment is flawed, time after time," Cummins said. "There's just something that's not quite right about it.
Neither the BC Liberal Party, Dhaliwal or Hunt responded to Tyee requests for comment by deadline.
Sukh Dhaliwal, unknown person, Christy Clark, unknown person pose at temple March 26 - photo from temple Facebook page
Cummins noted an earlier controversy where convicted attempted murderer Jaspal Atwal was a replacement guest at the 2012 budget speech in the BC Legislature on a ticket from Premier Christy Clark¹s office.
BC Liberal Party executive member Tariq Ghuman resigned his position after taking responsibility for bringing Atwal -- who was convicted of shooting a visiting Indian cabinet minister in 1986 in a murder attempt -- to the Legislature.
And Dhaliwal has been in controversy before. In 2008, when serving as a federal Liberal Member of Parliament for Newton-North Delta, Dhaliwal sent an official letter supporting convicted international drug trafficker Ranjit Cheema to a United States judge, urging that Cheema be given a chance at rehabilitation.
Nonetheless, Cheema was sentenced to five years in jail for conspiracy to import 200 kilograms of heroin from Pakistan to North America. Cheema was killed in a drive-by shooting in May 2012 in East Vancouver.
Hunt backed by Dhaliwal
Surrey city councilor Hunt took over the nomination at Dhaliwal's urging, according to local media reports.
Dhaliwal was nominated as the BC Liberal candidate on Oct. 31, 2012 but claims that he only became aware of the charges laid Oct. 15 involving Genko Consultants Inc., where he is president and his wife Roni secretary, in late November.
Dhaliwal told media at the time he resigned in February of 2013 that he had been unaware of the income tax charges regarding his company, one of three he owns, and that his personal taxes were up to date.
Clark's willingness to take big political chances by being publicly seen with Dhaliwal is a clear sign that things are increasingly desperate for the party as the election nears.

UPDATE - Response from Jaspal Atwal 

I received this email from Jaspal Atwal today, as did 24 Hours Vancouver newspaper.

I disagree with his assertions below but he has every right to his opinion and I present it for your information:

From Jaspal Atwal:

I find it terribly hypocritical that BC Conservative Leader John Cummins says that Premier Christy Clark held an “inappropriate” meeting last week with former BC Liberal candidate Sukh Dhaliwal who faces six federal charges for failing to file corporate income tax returns.

Has Cummins very conveniently forgotten his own criminal record? 


While Dhaliwal is innocent until proven guilty (unless of course there is one standard for white guys and another for brown guys!), Cummins was actually convicted on SIX counts for “purchase, sell or possess illegally caught fish” in 2011.


Bill Tieleman in his column on Tuesday also unnecessarily dragged in my name for something that happened 26 years ago. He wrote: “BC Liberal Party executive member Tariq Ghuman resigned his position after taking responsibility for bringing Atwal – who was convicted of shooting avisiting Indian cabinet minister in 1986  to the legislature.” 


I have served my time and am carrying on legitimate business. Does that mean that I cannot ever participate in society?

Or is it because I am a brown guy while Tieleman and Cummins are white? 


Some time ago, when I confronted Cummins for having brought up my past and pointed out that he too was a convict, he had the decency to admit his mistake and apologized to me.

.


18 comments:

Anonymous said...

When the Klingons land Chesty Clark will be the first humanoid into the starship, the first one to blow-job the Klingon commander, and the first Quisling to betray the human race so she can rule Klingon occupied Earth.

The GREAT SATAN

Anonymous said...

In Canada. Harper rewards corrupt cheating Politicians. The Campbell/Clark BC Liberals work for Harper. They have always been inappropriate, so has Harper. Cummins has supported Harper on the Enbridge pipeline, against the citizens of BC. Christy works for Harper, as Campbell did before her.

I am supporting Adrian Dix. His voice, is the only voice of reason and common sense, I have heard in this province. I am comfortable with Dix. The opposing Politicians and party's, keep me edgy and angry, every day of my life.

DPL said...

Bring out a mic.and camera, and Ms.Photo Op will be there, with her pasted on smile. Te woman has very little idea between right and wrong

Anonymous said...

Has nothing to do with Harper nor the Enbridge Pipeline.

There's no regulations as to preventing Clark from being seen with Dhaliwal, it isn't good politics.

and Cummins should talk. His removal of some Conservative members was a clear violation of their own Constitution which is enforceable in court.

If opposing politicians keep one person edgy and angry every day of his life, then he should seek professional help.


The Great Devilled Ham should also realize that Dhaliwal is one of "his". He's a long time federal Liberal.

Anonymous said...

In my good old days, our PAB fart-catcher (comment #04), the soon to be the acting assistant night-manager at the Burrard Street McDonald's . . . would have been writing his sycophantic pabulum alongside his former Liberal Surrey Star Candidate, from a cell in the basement of the Lubyanka.

The GREAT SATAN

Anonymous said...

Guess The Great Devilled Ham is thinking back to Lubyanka when it was part of his wanted-to-be-member-of the Stalinist KGB.

Well he's not too far off. Stalin ran the Soviet Union as a one party state.

But then so did his hero Pierre Trudeau who ran the federal Liberal Party as a totalitarian benevolent dictatorship.

and he should know Dhaliwal had federal Liberal Leadership events in his taxpayer paid for constituency office for the supporters of Paul Martin (which included Christy Clark and Mark Marissen.

The Great Devilled Ham reliving his glory days of the Rodina-Mat.

He must blurt

"rabochikh vsekh stran, soyedinyaytes!" (Workers of the world, unite!) after a few vodkas.

and while he gets ready to vote for Justin Trudeau..

Anonymous said...

Sorry little PAB bubbie . . .its Smert Shpionam for you.

The GREAT SATAN

Anonymous said...

Sorry Great Devilled Ham, you'll have to ensure another evening's presentation by Justin Trudeau, every weekday night for the next 6 months.

and you've had one too many vodkas if you figure everyone who disagrees with you is from PAB.

Try again while you listen to Justin's "goals" for a "New Just Society".

Sort of like the old Five Year Plans of the Rodina-Mat.

DPL said...

Each time I read an article about the women I wonder just how in heck did she get elected as a MLA, then leader by her party. Surely the BC Libs could have done better

Anonymous said...

Simple reason is that people stupidly bought into her sales pitch. George Abbott would have been a better choice, but to be fair, the NDP had it's share of stupid choices for leader.

Bob Skelly was the last one they had made a bad choice. Should have went for David Vickers.

Oh well, I wouldn't worry much about the BC Liberals anymore. They're a done government.

It's just a matter of waiting for the day after the election, when people wake up to a Premier Dix.

and yeah? So? Said so last year.

Anonymous said...

Mr.Atwal, your Liberal Pary is famous for bringing up the past. Why should your less than stellar record be ignored? Dhaliwal's as well.
Cummins had the balls to protest a law he believed to be unjust. He did that out in the open.
Your party performs in dark shadows, away from media scrutiny, doing the sleaziest of sleaze. A record that will wipe out your party completely, including CC.

Anonymous said...

Recent bid rigging and 5 million fine
http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/story/2013/04/04/competition-fine-furukawa.html

And bc ferry still has snc contract.

Quebec inquiry is que only based.Because c pension fund worries /caisse de depot.?
http://www.competitionbureau.gc.ca/eic/site/cb-bc.nsf/eng/h_00110.html

Anonymous said...

I'm cancelling my RBC ACCOUNT

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2013/04/05/bc-rbc-foreign-workers.html

Anonymous said...

https://twitter.com/B_Bhullar/status/320372007743156225/photo/1

Talk about photo ops! What's going on here?

Anonymous said...

The same thing that went on in this photo op:

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-METB9PX3n9M/T2Uvz-IQ57I/AAAAAAAABvA/HszuWIHNX0E/s269/IMG_2563.JPG

DPL said...

Horrors of Horrors, does this mean that Bill knows Adrian Dix? They worked together for the previous NDP government. The picture is right there on his website

Anonymous said...

Speaking of judgement lapses- Why on this little green planet are the NDP accepting money from David McLean?

Anonymous said...

Why on this little blue planet is John Cummins skimming off the BC Conservatives when he is still collecting his federal MP's pension??