Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Christy Clark would be a highly questionable BC premier - Basi-Virk case ensure that alone

Christy Clark on air - Stephen Dyrgas photo

Hard Questions for Christy Clark


If she runs for Lib leader, she'll face tough queries about Railgate and the HST.


Bill Tieleman's 24 hours/The Tyee online column


Tuesday November 30, 2010


By
Bill Tieleman


"Don't be fooled -- Christy Clark doesn't want to be mayor of Vancouver -- she wants to be premier of B.C."


- Bill Tieleman, 24 hours, Sept. 20, 2005


Christy Clark would be highly questionable as British Columbia's next premier.

And while as a talk radio host Clark may be adept at asking tough questions, answering them as a BC Liberal Party leadership candidate is much more difficult -- and perhaps politically fatal.

Clark claims she will
"think very hard" about running for the nomination on her week off from radio station CKNW AM 980 duties as the afternoon talk show host.

But the only likely reason she wouldn't jump into the race is if contenders like George Abbott and Kevin Falcon have already sewn up too much of the BC Liberal caucus support and business community money needed to win.

If she does run, those asking the questions won't be as easy to cut off as a belligerent caller to her show.

And Clark's past political history will come back to haunt her along with four years of on-air commentary on a wide range of issues and her losing attempt to win the Non-Partisan Association's mayoralty nomination against Sam Sullivan in 2005.

Railgate and Bruce Clark

Start with questions about her role in the B.C. legislature raid case, involving the $1 billion privatization of BC Rail to CN Rail in 2003.

For example, Christy, what is your position on holding a full public inquiry into the strange circumstances that saw the political corruption trial of former BC Liberal ministerial aides David Basi and Bob Virk suddenly halted by a guilty plea bargain?

Were you going to be a witness in that trial? Do you agree with the government paying Basi and Virk's $6 million legal fees?

Oh wait, it doesn't matter, because as premier, Clark would have to excuse herself from any cabinet discussion about an inquiry.

Why? How long have you got?

At the same time police conducted the unprecedented raid of the B.C. legislature, they also executed a search warrant on the home of Bruce Clark, Christy's brother and a one-time fundraiser for her campaigns.

According to an agreed
statement of facts from the Crown and defence at the surprise end of the trial, confidential government information obtained from Basi and Virk was found by police at Bruce Clark's home and office.

Clark was a lobbyist working for the Washington Marine Group, which was a bidder on a second part of the BC Rail privatization, the sale of its Roberts Bank Port Subdivision, a spur line worth up to $70 million.

The RCMP advised then transportation minister Falcon to cancel the sale because it was "tainted" by the leak of confidential documents. Bruce Clark was never charged with any offences.

The statement of facts reads: "With respect to Count 10 of the Indictment and in relation to the Port Subdivision bidding process, the RCMP seized a number of documents from Bruce Clark's office and residence, which Basi and Virk disclosed to Bruce Clark between Jan. 1, 2003 and Dec. 28, 2003."

"Two examples of the documents that Basi and Virk improperly disclosed to Clark are:

"a) The draft Request for Proposals for the Port Subdivision bidding process, which was received by Clark prior to the RFP being finalized by the Evaluation Committee; and

"b) A 'confidential presentation' made by TD Securities to the Evaluation Committee dated Oct. 14, 2003 containing a detailed economic analysis of what BC Rail considered to be the value of the Port Subdivision."

Would she have been a witness?

But that's just the tip of the Basi-Virk iceberg when it comes to Christy Clark's conundrum.

Clark was deputy premier to Premier Gordon Campbell throughout the BC Rail privatization and was a highly probable potential witness in the trial.

She and ex-husband Mark Marissen, a key federal
organizer for ex-Liberal prime minister Paul Martin and former leader Stephane Dion, had a home visit from the police after the raid. The police were looking for information about Basi and Virk and Marissen has made clear he cooperated fully -- there was no search warrant.

Defence lawyers alleged in Basi-Virk pre-trial court
hearings that Clark may have been a cabinet source of information for Pilothouse Public Affairs, the lobbying firm run by Erik Bornmann and Brian Kieran that was retained by BC Rail bidder OmniTRAX.

Both Bornmann and Kieran became Crown witnesses and were not charged with anything, despite admitting to police they provided money and other benefits to Basi and Virk in exchange for confidential government BC Rail privatization information.

"Pilothouse internal briefing notes appear to reveal sources in cabinet. Bornmann clearly had certain cabinet sources," Basi's lawyer Michael Bolton told Justice Elizabeth Bennett, the former Basi-Virk case judge, on June 4, 2009.



"For example, Christy Clark may have been the source within cabinet -- certainly Mr. Bornmann was in contact with Ms. Clark," Bolton alleged.
Bolton's allegations are just that -- they were never proven nor tested in court, since the trial ended long before any witnesses could be cross-examined or evidence introduced.

But Bornmann's long connections as an executive of the federal Liberal Party of Canada's B.C. branch, including strong links to fellow executive member Bruce Clark, are well documented, as are his connections to the BC Liberal Party and role as a provincial lobbyist.

And then on July 20, 2009, justice Elizabeth Bennett, the former Basi-Virk case judge,
ruled that emails between Pilothouse lobbyists and Christy Clark were "likely relevant" and must be disclosed to the defence.

"The Crown concedes that any email communication between the lobbyists and Christy Clark, Richard Neufeld, Gary Collins, Judith Reid and Paul Taylor are likely relevant," she noted in her decision.

"Ms. Clark was the deputy minister and may have expressed concern over the CN Rail dealing at a cabinet meeting. Further, there is some evidence that indicates that she may have had some dealings with Pilothouse. Emails of Ms. Clark relating to the divestiture of BC Rail and the sale of the Roberts Bank, as well as any contact with Pilothouse, are likely relevant," Bennett’s disclosure ruling continued.

All of this may have been an impetus for Clark to lawyer-up for the first time in the lengthy pre-trial hearings, retaining John Esson to represent her in court starting in Aug. 2009.

Media manipulations

Then there's the so-far unconfirmed
rumour that Mike McDonald, the former BC Liberal caucus communications director, will be Clark's campaign manager. McDonald, now a consultant, appears regularly on Clark's show and is husband to Jessica McDonald, Campbell's former senior deputy minister.

But McDonald also has his own connections to the Basi-Virk case.

Again, according to unproven
allegations made by defence lawyers in pre-trial hearings, McDonald was involved in supervising Basi's stacking of paid phony callers to radio talk shows, ironically including CKNW.

Virk's lawyer Kevin McCullough on April 23, 2007 read from what he told the court was a police transcript of a call between Basi and McDonald.

"'Dave's asking Mike if he wants to make some calls to CKNW after the MLA is on,'" McCullough alleged. 



Justice Bennett interjected: "Is this a Liberal MLA?"



McCullough: "Yes."

Bennett responded, to laughter in the court: "I should have known that."

At another point McCullough alleges that McDonald and Basi
discussed how Basi would organize calls to attack former B.C. premier Bill Vander Zalm during a radio appearance.

"Dave says they are going to give Vander Zalm a rough ride. [Mike] tells Dave to be careful, they don't want the phone numbers showing up from [government lines in] Victoria. Dave replies, 'Star 67, man,'" McCullough read from what he said was a police wiretap summary. (Star 67 refers to a caller identification blocking option.)

And there's much, much more to the tangled web of the Basi-Virk case that no doubt Clark would prefer was left undisturbed.

But with the trial concluded, there is no restriction on the media or others asking questions.

She's a fan of the HST

Plus, there are more unexploded bombs in Clark's recent past -- such as her steadfast defence of the despised Harmonized Sales Tax and her support for the overwhelmingly rejected Single Transferable Vote in 2009.

So if Clark finally admits she wants to be premier, expect her opponents both in and out of the BC Liberal Party to turn her candidacy into a walk in the hurt locker.




.

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

The reality for BC is . . .

With control of the public's $$$

With the mass subversion of government agencies like Elections BC.

With the near total & malevolent support of BC's mainstream media

With the gross incompetence of the NDP's leadership


The BC Liberals cannot be defeated.


The GREAT SATAN

Anonymous said...

Well written Bill. Don't forget that the links from Christy Clarks campaign team to Erik Bornmann are still there.

I hope that you will be covering the Law Society of Upper Canada's hearings into the Good Character of Mr. Bornmann. I can assure you that many of the same people that are part of the Christy Clark network are those that are part of the Erik Bornmann support group.

Christy has not distanced herself from this scandal and in fact has Brian Kieran on as a regular guest!

Anonymous said...

Did Bruce Clark register as a lobbyist? Why hasn't the NDP filed a complaint with the Lobbyist Registrar of BC to investigate?

Anonymous said...

The Basi-Virk trial is now over and time to move on.

Seems this leadership for Bill and those who have nothing better to do is only about Basi/Virk.

Thing was, The NDP leadership that followed Harcourt's departure was never about the Commonwealth Holding Society to the degree that this one seems to be anything to do with Basi-Virk and BC Rail.

Time to pack away the issue and move on folks. Many others in BC have.

Anonymous said...

I would caution poster anon 11:30 that the documents the media are chasing will impact the leadership campaign.

The media have NOT moved on as you would have liked.

Stay tuned....

Norm Farrell said...

Watching and listening to Ms. Clarke over many years, I am unconvinced that she has the cerebral strength to serve as a capable leader. Clearly, she is combative, has a rudimentary knowledge of issues and enjoys the babble of politics. She is comfortable with letting back room people take care of policy details but she lacks the sophisticated understanding needed to avoid being manipulated and stay able to protect public interests.

In days of globalism, important government business involves complex arrangements that most politicians do not understand. They have been convinced to approve policies with billions of consequences affecting multiple future generations.

I have no confidence that Ms. Clark has anything more than a cursory understanding of issues, or an interest in more than that. Sure, the media will enjoy her style but good government demands intellectual vigour that she does not possess.

Anonymous said...

I am so tired of the smear-by-association garbage that passes for "journalism" is this town (both on this blog and CityCaucus). What a race to the bottom.

Anonymous said...

"I have no confidence that Ms. Clark has anything more than a cursory understanding of issues, or an interest in more than that. Sure, the media will enjoy her style but good government demands intellectual vigour that she does not possess"

Agree there. Carol James is the same way.

DPL said...

Clark was a big supporter of anything Campbell wanted to do. I don't for one minute believe she left politics to be close to her son.Back then she had a husband who could do some of the childminding. Now single, suddenly she wants back it. Lots of baggage attached to the woman, just like all the declared candidates. The stink of BC Rail giveaway will not be soon forgotten, and of course paying those guys lawyers bills must upset anyone who is the least bit concerned about how Gordos team throws our money around.

Norm Farrell said...

How can we compare members of the opposition front bench to those on the government front bench? The difference in exposure is like night and day.

Liberals have advantage of PAB, the largest (200+ bodies) information distributor in the province. Plus tens of millions of government advertising, designed and monitored at public expense by top PR agencies. In addition, the small group of newspaper publishers in BC exclusively supports Liberals with both cash donations and uncritical coverage.

They have backing of business groups and wealthy foundations such as that infamous one that anointed Campbell the best leader since Alexander the Great or some such thing. Even the Globe & Mail editorial board, which is sympathetic to the Campbell and the Fraser Institute, said that selection was "rigged."

Television and radio coverage is so weighted in favor of the Liberals that some of the working broadcasters are embarrassed by it. Listen to CKNW from 8am until 3pm, if you need convincing.

The Liberals control when the House sits and they control its agenda. That leaves the opposition and Carol James with no effective platform to communicate regularly with citizens. If James had one, I might be able to form a more informed opinion about her capabilities. However, my comment was about Christy Clark who has exposed herself as much as the Emperor in Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale.

Loewen Lee said...

At least for the nest 2 years, we can't do anything about there being a Liberal Premier so I'm going to keep hearing crap that gets me upset. But if I had a choice I would rather hear it from Christy Clark than Kevin Falcon. Why? Simple, she's hot. I can only think of one other Liberal that doesn't make me ill to look at and she's an idiot. Christy Clark has my vote until someone better comes along.

RonS said...

Christy Clark has to answer to the alleged corrupt sale of BC Rail. She was there. Her ex-husband is involved with it and people around her may still be involved in other alleged scams.

Anon 11:30 says time to move on. Does that include the alleged fast ferries fiasco? Or are only the right wind allowed to drag out history when it's convenient?

All alleged, perceived and outrigt scams must/have to be investigated. Convictions should follow the investigation and those involved must pay. That includes SCampbell, de Jong, Falcon, Clark and her ex and all the usual suspects. I'm tired of the right wing getting away with our tax dollars!

Anonymous said...

Anon 11:30 says time to move on. Does that include the alleged fast ferries fiasco? Or are only the right wind allowed to drag out history when it's convenient?

It includes the fastferries fiasco.
(the last one left in November 2009)

There's far more important things to cover than Basi-Virk. Many just want to continue on and wallow in the court case while the rest of BC has moved on.

Eeven the NDP hasn't covered Basi-Virk in the past few weeks.

Anonymous said...

"Liberals have advantage of PAB, the largest (200+ bodies) information distributor in the province. Plus tens of millions of government advertising, designed and monitored at public expense by top PR agencies."

The NDP had its own apparatchiks
of which Bill was briefly one, and there was also Now Communications headed up by Ron Johnson an NDP stalwart.

The NDP will have once again its own PR system in place once they win government.


" In addition, the small group of newspaper publishers in BC exclusively supports Liberals with both cash donations and uncritical coverage. "

I doubt that, but to be fair, Kiernan was pretty critical of the government, and Kreiger's cartoons aren't exactly unbiased either.

"They have backing of business groups and wealthy foundations such as that infamous one that anointed Campbell the best leader since Alexander the Great or some such thing. Even the Globe & Mail editorial board, which is sympathetic to the Campbell and the Fraser Institute, said that selection was "rigged."

So don't take the Globe's word so seriously.


"Television and radio coverage is so weighted in favor of the Liberals that some of the working broadcasters are embarrassed by it. Listen to CKNW from 8am until 3pm, if you need convincing."

Most of us are working from 8 AM to 3 PM.

"The Liberals control when the House sits and they control its agenda. That leaves the opposition and Carol James with no effective platform to communicate regularly with citizens. If James had one, I might be able to form a more informed opinion about her capabilities. However, my comment was about Christy Clark who has exposed herself as much as the Emperor in Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale."

The NDP once they win government will also control when the house sits.

As for Christy exposing herself, I doubt anyone would want to see that unless they want to go blind

Anonymous said...

With Rich Coleman out of the race where is Patrick Kinsella going to deploy his machine? My vote is for Christy especially if he perceives her to be the front-runner.

Anonymous said...

Christy Clark, called the people opposing Campbell, because of his dastardly deeds, HST and recall, and much more. She actually had the gall to say, all of these people were, Taliban. She would be just as bad as Campbell. Perish the thought, De Jong would win. He is totally disliked by the people, for his methods in handling, Campbell's corrupt sale of the BCR. Another, Campbell tainted minister, no thanks!!!! Many BC citizen's wanted the recalls, done as quickly as possible, to get rid of the rotten BC Liberal party, altogether. We don't want to be in another Liberal mess, for two more years. Thousands of BC people, don't have enough money to live on right now. Between the provincial budget and the HST, on pretty much everything, evictions have already started. This Liberal government insanity, needs to be stopped now.

Anonymous said...

"With Rich Coleman out of the race where is Patrick Kinsella going to deploy his machine? My vote is for Christy especially if he perceives her to be the front-runner."

Hopefully Kinsella will deploy his machine at 99 Truck parts in Surrey or one of the wrecking yards on Mitchell Island.

Assuming there is anything worth to salvage for saleable parts.

Anonymous said...

Whatever happened to the poster Deep Throat? He always had good insight and analysis.

Anonymous said...

Damn straight doesn't get any clearer than that highly and truly questionable and still no answers and nothing will change.we have to be asking ourselves how stupid does she think we Taliban are?

Anonymous said...

Christy Clark's husband had nothing to do with the sale of BC Rail. He had a visit from police to ask about Basi and Virk. That's because they worked on the Paul Martin campaign and were looking for jobs. This is all out there, and some of the people commenting here refuse to face the facts.

Marrisen was given a letter from the police saying that he had nothing to do with the case, and that he was not implicated whatsoever.

For you to allow posters to say otherwise is aiding and abetting in libel, Bill.

You should remove such posts, unless you are just as slimey as these people who comment on your wall.

Anonymous said...

Anon 7.26, you're right eh, they acted alone. It was only those 2. We have all the answers we need. Case closed. Oh wait, no no... that doesn't seem right at all.

Anonymous said...

Seems Bil here just wants to keep this Basi-Virk trial alive.

Some people jut won;t let go. It's over, the case has been heared even though no one including me likes the decision or outcome.

But he's also slowly migrating to more current issues of the day such as the corrpution in favour of labour within the NDP.