BC government corruption

[flamingfingers]

A side note here: They have changed their name again:

http://www.bcliberals.com/home

[steven lloyd]

"Today's BC LIberals" are "a free enterprise party that is committed to open government".

They've simply taken a little leave in defining what "free enterprise" and "open government" actually stands for.

How much of our money have they diverted and earmarked for their own select private interests ? How much of our money have they used to keep people quiet and obstruct Court process ? How much of our tax dollars have been spent in Court to date trying to force this BC Liberal Party into sharing their meaning of "open government" with us ? Doesn't say in the ads.

[maple leaf]

How much of our money have they diverted and earmarked for their own select private interests ? How much of our money have they used to keep people quiet and obstruct Court process ? How much of our tax dollars have been spent in Court to date trying to force this BC Liberal Party into sharing their meaning of "open government" with us ? Doesn't say in the ads.

And that is not the only way they take the tax payers for a ride,when they vote themselves behind closed doors fat raises and benefit packages.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2013
MLAs' expense allowance lets almost one-in-four buy second homes in the capital
MLAs’ living expense benefits are likely too rich when 18 of them have been able to buy second homes in the capital.
It’s reasonable to cover living costs for MLAs from outside the capital region when they’re here on business.
But when almost 25 per cent of eligible MLAs use the expense allowance to help buy second homes in one of the province’s most expensive markets, the payments deserve a tough look. (The information is from disclosure statements. A few have half-interests in the properties.)
MLAs’ decision to give themselves big pay raises and lavish pension plans in 2007 attracted much attention. (Rightly, of course. About 75 per cent of working British Columbians have no pension plan, but pay higher taxes so MLAs can have a gold-plated plan. The average pay for B.C. MLAs is now $118,000, more than the income of 96 per cent of tax filers in the province.)
But MLAs also voted for big changes in their benefits.
MLAs had been eligible for an allowance when they had to be in the capital on business. The amount - $150 per day - was judged enough to cover meals and a hotel room. Some members - mostly cabinet ministers - were in Victoria enough that the per diem allowed them to rent a place, or in a handful of cases buy a residence.
In 2007, MLAs decided they needed more.
The new deal gives them $61 a day for meals, no receipts required.
And it provides generous housing allowances. MLAs can rent, and claim up to $19,000 a year in expenses with receipts. Or they can claim $12,000 a year and not have to provide any receipts.
And they can also claim taxpayers’ funds to support the purchase of a second home in the capital, based on the same approach. With receipts, they can get up to $19,000 a year for “property taxes, strata fees, if any, insurance, basic telephone and Internet service, parking and furniture rental.”
Or they can just claim $12,000 a year with no receipts. (It’s notable that MLAs believe they need up to $19,000 for a second home, but single parent with two children on disability assistances is allowed less than $8,000. Their children must not need housing up to MLA standards.)
The new rates are a good deal for MLAs from outside the capital region, or they wouldn’t be buying the condos and houses.
But is it a good deal for taxpayers, especially when the legislature sits so rarely? The legislature has been sitting about 47 days a year. Committee work and other meetings could bring an MLA to Victoria for another 30 days a year. Under the old system, he or she would get about $7,700 for accommodation. Enough for a nice hotel or long-term rental.
Under the new system, taxpayers pay at least $12,000, maybe more - a 56 per cent increase. (The extra costs might be less for MLAs or ministers who are here more often.)
Part of the problem in assessing the benefits is that MLAs continue to cloak their spending in secrecy, despite repeated promises to provide a proper breakdown. It’s impossible to tell what they’re doing with the housing allowance - or even whether the rules are being followed.
The whole plan was presented and approved without any rationale, justification or assessment of the increased costs to taxpayers.
The government picked three panelists to examine pay, pension and benefits - two senior lawyers and a business professor. Their average income was well over $200,000. Their perspective on compensation would inevitably be skewed by their own experiences. Unlike past compensation committees, there was no one earning the average B.C. wage of abut $40,000. No one, as the BC Liberals used to proclaim in the old days, “Thinking like a taxpayer.”
There are better approaches. For more than two decades, Washington state has used a 16-person salary commission to deal with pay for elected officials. One member is selected at random from the voters' list in each of nine geographical areas. The politicians appoint five members - one each from universities, business, personnel management, the law and organized labour. The state's HR department and universities get to name one person each.
I don’t know if the allowances are reasonable, or fair. But when so many MLAs are able to buy second homes, they deserve a close look.
Posted by paul at 10:12 AM
http://willcocks.blogspot.ca

[maple leaf]

Christy Clarks 11 million dollar fake, bogus ,pretend Bollywood awards show.Another 11 million spent for Christy Clarks egocentric photo-op opportunity.

MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2013
"Copycat" Indian Oscars coming to B.C. Place
The International Indian Film Academy awards aren't coming to Vancouver in 2013, but an event that IIFA organizers deemed a "copycat" is.

Clark and actor Anil Kapoor announcing IIFA bid in 2011.

During a November 2011 trade mission to India, Premier Christy Clark announced a bid for the 2013 edition of the IIFA awards. The event, which was referred to as the "Oscars of Indian film, was held in 2011 in Toronto at Rogers Centre. The 2013 host remains to be announced.

The Surrey Board of Trade was part of the IIFA bid. Its president, Anita Huberman, said via email on Jan. 18: "It is not going to be IIFA but something better. I am not allowed to say at this time -- but an announcement will be made on Tuesday."

UPDATE (Jan. 21): Clark will be appearing at a 10 a.m. news conference on Jan. 22 in the Vancouver Convention Centre to announce the Times of India-sponsored event in April. B.C. Place Stadium is the venue for the awards, but the news conference isn't going to be there. That's odd. Might that be so as to shield the Premier from questions about the continuing controversy over the stadium on several fronts? Such as a major lawsuit among roof contractors and the Auditor General's fact-finding exercise on the cost overruns. Meanwhile, Bollywood director Karan Johar Tweeted that he arrived in Vancouver at 7:57 p.m.

Another source told me that B.C. Place Stadium will be the venue. With an election nearing, the government is in desperate need of propping up the taxpayer-owned stadium as a major lawsuit by roof contractors looms in October and the Office of the Auditor General examines the controversial project.

Global TV reporter Jas Johal asked Clark about the show during a Jan. 16 news conference. Clark gave a vague answer, hinting an announcement was imminent, but she did not deny that taxpayers would be subsidizing the event. (Ontario taxpayers spent $12 million on hosting the IIFA in 2011.)

This, while the province's own film and TV industry is in decline and struggling workers are furiously calling for government action to match Ontario's generous tax credits after I revealed in Business in Vancouver that their industry was deliberately omitted from Clark's B.C. Jobs Plan. (An industry town hall meeting is planned for Jan. 22 at North Shore Studios.)

IIFA organizer Wizcraft International issued the following news release on Jan. 21, to reiterate it's not coming to Vancouver in 2013:

IIFA confirms not going to Vancouver in 2013~
IIFA fans react to copycat event; management responds to overwhelming number of inquiries from fans ~
Monday, January 21st, 2013 - The International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) today confirmed that the bid from the British Columbia government on behalf of Vancouver was rejected for 2013 and the world's biggest international celebration of Indian cinema would not be held in Vancouver this year.
IIFA shared that the dates and venue for the 2013 edition of the IIFA Weekend and Awards would be formally announced soon.

The need for the clarification was necessary following thousands of fans inquiring about the IIFA celebrations following rumors of a few copycat efforts being attempted in international markets.

Recently, IIFA received a copious number of emails and enquiries from fans in Canada and around the world for tickets to the Awards. But Wizcraft International, the organisers of the extravaganza, today confirmed that the city is out of the running for June 2013. The bidding process for the Awards is currently on with a number of countries from the Middle East, South America, Europe and Africa vying for the biggest extravaganza of Indian Cinema to come to their city.
In 2011, IIFA successfully forayed into North America, marking its premiere in Canada, in the city of Toronto. There has since been keen interest from the country to play host once more in 2013, with Christy Clark, the Premier of British Columbia formally extending an invitation to Wizcraft International Entertainment, the initiators of the unique IIFA Celebrations, to hold its 14th edition in Vancouver.

Embarking on its 14th year, Sabbas Joseph, Director, IIFA & Wizcraft International said, “We are truly excited about the bids we have received from various countries. The decision is subject to many contributing factors that are required of a host destination in terms of support-initiatives for Hindi cinema production, funding and distribution; event-funding, support, facilitation, and infrastructure. We are committed to the film Industry and hosting an IIFA in any destination must meet the larger interests of Indian Cinema and a spectacular-staging of the annual celebration.”
Over the years, IIFA has emerged as the most prestigious platform recognizing excellence in the Indian film industry. The biggest names of Indian cinema congregate at the IIFA Weekend and Awards to celebrate the best contribution made to the world of films in the previous year. IIFA is a global platform that gives the Indian film fraternity an opportunity to reach audiences in international territories and is among the most-watched global events with an audience of over 800 million, annually. A number of destinations have played host including London, Yorkshire, Johannesburg, Dubai, Amsterdam, Singapore, Bangkok, Colombo and Macau.
About IIFA
Conceptualized and produced by Wizcraft International Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. and supported by the key members of the Indian film fraternity, IIFA is the most appreciated South Asian film academy. Also, the IIFA Awards is India's biggest media event. With a viewership of almost 800 million, it is among the world's most-watched annual entertainment events. From a one night celebration in 2000 at the Millennium Dome, London, the last thirteen years have seen the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) movement grow into a packed weekend of film-festivals, workshops, exhibitions, film-showcases, a global business forum and sporting events, all of which climax into the highlight of the Weekend, the IIFA Awards.
For more information, contact –Lizel Noronha
WizSpk Communication | PR
http://2010goldrush.blogspot.ca/2013/01 ... place.html

[flamingfingers]

Another source told me that B.C. Place Stadium will be the venue. With an election nearing, the government is in desperate need of propping up the taxpayer-owned stadium as a major lawsuit by roof contractors looms in October and the Office of the Auditor General examines the controversial project.

Pretty well tells it all, eh? And THAT is what premier photo op is spending OUR money on! Outrageous!! Using our money to try and buy votes from the East Indian community. But that community has seen through the intent and will quietly (or not so quietly) exact their revenge.

Moe Gill who was treated so shabbily by de Jong and the Liberal party he supported for YEARS will be running against de Jong... his old 'friend' who helped stab him in the back. We need more Moe Gills... we need more John Doyles (catch the Simi Sara interview with Doyle on NW audio vault January 24 at 1:45 - he must pee ice cubes he is so cool).

[maple leaf]

Lot is said these days about bulling.What kind of message are our politicians sending our young people,when they say one thing out of one side of the mouth and do the opposite in action.Christy Clark,Rich Coleman and the liberals are the biggest bullies out there,when all they can do is attack ,attack,attack,with false misleading slur.

Christy’s Inaction Condones Coleman’s Bullying
January 28th, 2013 · 22 Comments

How ironic! If there’s one stance unelected unmandated premier Christy Clark has taken that has drawn support from all political sides, it has been her outspoken oppeosition to bullying. On CKNW as a talk show host, also after she became an MLA and even after being installed as acting premier, Clark has maintained her opposition to the intimidating, hurtful and damaging practice of bullying.

Apparently unless it’s done by one of her own cabinet ministers.

Deputy Premier Rich Coleman not only attempted to bully, he also reportedly issued a threat to Surrey councillors before they voted on a proposed casino project: if they rejected the $100 million project for south Surrey, “they could forget about a new casino anywhere in Surrey”.

Sure sounds like bullying to me! And worse!

Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts (no NDPer!) and has said it was inappropriate for Coleman to call Surrey council members before the vote …let alone vow if they voted “no”, they won’t see the BC Lottery Corporation allow a new casino to built anywhere in the municipality. And other Surrey councillors have backed up the mayor’s criticism.

The project at stake was a $100 million casino proposal by Gateway Casinos and Entertainment Ltd. Surrey councillors voted 5 to 4 to turn down the project.

The wider political issue is NOT about whether the project was a good one, or the site was the best … or even whether Gateway is a suitable operator for a new casino.

The REAL issue is Coleman’s bullying attempt to influence the vote and even intimidate those who would be making the decision.

The RCMP should take a very hard look at the legality of Coleman’s unacceptable actions to influence the vote. The fact that he is a cabinet minister and deputy premier makes it, in my opinion, even worse.

The minister’s statement a few days after the vote … and AFTER his tactics hit the fan …saying he respects the decision is not good enough. Especially since he did NOT even mention or address his own improper actions.

Where is the acting premier?

Her fight against bullying must extend to more than just photo ops, press conferences or program funding to fight it.

Clark …like the rest of us …has a duty to STAND UP, SPEAK OUT and TAKE ACTION wherever and whenever she sees it taking place.

And dealing with Rich Coleman’s pre-vote bullying tactics and threat would be a very good place to start.

Harv Oberfeld

[maple leaf]

Facts fall like dominoes in BC Liberal government television ads - but you still pay for it


Domino ad's 3 self-congratulatory claims fail to stand up to scrutiny

BC government's "domino" television ad - not exactly as illustrated!
Bill Tieleman’s 24 hours/The Tyee column

Tuesday February 12, 2013

By Bill Tieleman
"I call it like the domino theory of reality. If you can go one step at a time and it seems to make sense, you can then take your audience into an area that is relatively outlandish."
- Movie director Ivan Reitman
Unless you live in a cave with no cable, you've seen the BC Liberal government's pervasive $15 million ad campaign on television -- the one your tax dollars are paying for despite its obviously partisan purposes.
The expensive 30-second spot features rows of black dominos collapsing all around the world -- that is, until they run up against Premier Christy Clark's immovable white piece.
There's only one problem. It's not true.
"Unstable government policies have hurt people around the world," the authoritative announcer intones over ominous music guaranteed to scare small children. "Big government, careless spending and quick fixes have caused economies to collapse."
The dominos fall until they reach our fair province, when uplifting music starts and the white domino of B.C. holds firm, thankfully.
"But British Columbia is standing strong. By controlling government spending, low taxes and investing in skills training," it says.
But the facts are far different than the misleading ad.
1. Provincial spending under the B.C. Liberals has gone up astonishingly -- it has not been "controlled."
Moody's Investors Service downgraded B.C.'s credit rating in December from "stable" to "negative" because of concerns about the province's "recent accumulation in debt."
"The negative outlook reflects Moody's assessment of the risks to the province's ability to reverse the recent accumulation in debt with the softened economic outlook, weaker commodity prices and continued expense pressures," according Moody's assistant vice president Jennifer Wong, lead analyst for the province.
And no wonder. When the BC Liberals took office in 2001, accumulated provincial debt was $33.8 billion.
Today it's $57.6 billion and scheduled to jump to $66.3 billion by 2015, almost double.
That's not "controlling spending." It's that "big government" the ad warns about!
2. The ads boast about low taxes -- but B.C. is the only province in Canada where individuals have to pay Medical Services Premiums.
This regressive tax has gone up 85 per cent since 2000 and 24 per cent in just the last three years, an increase of $300 per person.
The MSP costs British Columbians over $2 billion each year in a tax that a Victoria Times-Colonist editorial called a "shell game".
And the same "low tax" government introduced a surprise Harmonized Sales Tax -- that I helped successfully oppose with Fight HST -- which shifted $2 billion in taxes from big business to consumers with new taxes on hundreds of items.
3. The province claims it is "investing in skills training" -- but our six major universities warn that 20,000 jobs could go unfilled by 2020 because the government isn't doing enough training.
"Basically, what we're saying is there's a skills and education deficit coming and, in order to deal with it, we've got to actually start now," University of Victoria president David Turpin said last month. "We can't wait to 2016 to say, 'Wow, we now have this shortfall.'"
Meanwhile, tuition fees have more than doubled under the BC Liberals and students graduate with the highest debt load west of the Maritimes.
And then there's the 70,000 Temporary Foreign Workers currently working in B.C., from coal miners to chefs to farmworkers while construction employers head to Ireland to recruit skilled trades workers.
And Statistics Canada reported Friday that B.C. lost 15,900 jobs in January alone.
When it comes to B.C. government ads, it's the facts that fall like dominos.
http://billtieleman.blogspot.ca.

[Gone_Fishin]

A disgusting display of union thugs and construction mafia collaborating to rip off the taxpayers.

[Spocky]

The Libs are a corrupt, third world Marcos-ian party, the NDP are... PUH-LEEEEEEEEZ don't get me started, the BC Conservatives are a bunch of amateur yahoos who couldn't find their butts with both hands and a flashlight. So who do we vote for?

THE SPOCKY PARTY!

Our Motto: A chicken in every pot and (legal) pot in every chick!

Our Platform: The BC Legislature does nothing so we'll just disband it and save the taxpayer billions.

Our Campaign Financing: Send $100 to Spocky's Paypal Account.

[maple leaf]

‘EXCLUSIVE’ BREAKING NEWS: And now THE REAL STORY of Why Pat Bell is in Considerable Hot Water Over the Wood Innovation Center in Prince George…While Another Christy Clark Friend Rides to Her Rescue???
19
As it often is with the BC Liberals, it’s always about the money. Following the money on the Pat Bell scandal and his meddling at Partnerships BC over the Wood Innovation and Design Centre and it certainly leads to some VERY interesting places–not necessarily just about the money.
It’s clear the two Prince George developers Brian Fehr and Dan McLaren are partisans. That much we know. Fair enough. And it makes sense the Premier and a fellow Prince George MLA, Justice Minister Bond, are defending Bell–as the three of them aren’t exactly know for their individual integrity, so there’s help in numbers, I get that, too.
But why is BC Fairness Advisor Jane Shackell, QC going beyond her mandate? She is both the fairness monitor entrusted with determining if strong Christy Clark ally Pat Bell is corrupt, and a devotee of the BC Liberals. Ms. Shackell claims some of the allegations against Pat Bell are beyond her scope. Okay, then she has a bloody fiduciary duty, if not a legal one, to ensure those allegations do not rest and are vigorously examined. But is she politically tainted?
With the complaint made by Adrian Dix in the house today and the further information I’ll provide you below, I don’t see how this government gets away without immediately appointing a special prosecutor. This a HUGE SCANDAL.
Only because the MSM might not know where to look, I’ll tell you a little about Ms. Shackell. She’s a long time political ally of the Premier, and just like Paul Fraser, the Conflict Commissioner, a dyed-in-the-wool federal Liberal from the Clark bailiwick. Ms. Shackell is the ex-wife of Christy Clark campaign legal advisor James Hatton, QC (about the only member of the Clark camp, who is truly worth his weight in gold–a first class solicitor also worthy of his QC and every bit a gentleman–the guy is absolutely top drawer).
Ms. Shackell was a huge supporter of Christy Clark’s leadership bid and was one of the original letter writers in support of admitted briber of public officials, Erik Bornmann–now a practicing lawyer in Ontario, when he was the subject of a “good character” hearing, before the Law Society of Upper Canada. As we know, Bornmann was a high ranking capo in the Mark Marrisen – Christy Clark political famiglia, and worked hand-in-glove with Christy Clark, providing her intel to take into Cabinet to support his then client OmniTRAX and was a full-time lieutenant of the Martinite crew, led by Marissen, that has decimated the Liberal Party of Canada.
Nevertheless, Ms. Shackell is in a conflict no different than the one conflict commissioner Paul Fraser’s found himself in earlier this year.
Ms. Shackell is who the Christy Clark government is pointing to to say all is clean and above board in the procurement of the WIDC. She’s already dismissed concerns from McLaren and Fehr (as I mentioned above, saying some concerns were outside the scope of her mandate). But knowing how close she is to the Premier (they are very close friends and political allies) how can Ms. Shackell not see the, at least, abundant appearance of conflict of interest??? Any report she produces that exonerates Bell or this government, will be viewed with a jaundiced eye, and rightfully so!
As for her specific BC Liberal ties beyond being a girlfriend of the Premier, in April 2009, during the lead up to the last election, Ms. Shackell’s business, Jane Shackell Law Corporation, donated $700 to the BC Liberals. Her BC Liberal roots are deep as she served on the party appeals board and, in 1996, served on the party policy committee. Shades of the resigned Special Prosecutor Terence Robertson in the Kash Heed Affair, anyone??? Former Special Prosecutor Robertson resigned for precisely such a conflict–over the donation his law corporation gave the BC Liberal Party. The principle is IDENTICAL. Impartial positions demand clean hands, not politically tainted backgrounds.
Why the different rules for Jane Shackell, whose political partisanship is no different from former Special Prosecutor Robertson? Because her galpal is the Premier?!
How can Ms. Shackell possibly sit there and pretend anything she says on this file will not be view with deepest skepticism by any fair minded individual???
Jane Shackell should resign immediately for the comments she’s already made, apologize to the public for not being forthright about her relationship with the Premier and this government, and hand the file off to someone who is truly impartial.
But here’s another bombshell for you on this brewing hurricane…
I’m told by high ranking BC Liberal sources that the Premier’s office, Pat Bell and Shirley Bond are now trying desperately to cover up that Bond and Bell in 2009-2010 tried to bully then Minister of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development Moira Stilwell (a first class human being and tremendous public servant) into “fast tracking the Wood Center in Prince George…with preferred players…but Moira smelled a rat and didn’t budge…so now the Premier and both Northern MLAs are trying to plug all the holes…it’s not working Alex, they may go down on this one, bigtime.”
You read it here first… http://alexgtsakumis.com/2013/02/27/exc ... __________

[Logitack]

i was about to post the same article posted by maple....

this portion is particularly interesting... and bond is the freaking "justice minister"~!!

’m told by high ranking BC Liberal sources that the Premier’s office, Pat Bell and Shirley Bond are now trying desperately to cover up that Bond and Bell in 2009-2010 tried to bully then Minister of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development Moira Stilwell (a first class human being and tremendous public servant) into “fast tracking the Wood Center in Prince George…with preferred players

here is some more background on the Wood Inovation Center of PG

http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/arti ... rt-process

[Urban Cowboy]

Uhuh, The Tyee, pillar of honest unbiased journalism.

[flamingfingers]

^^Refute the issues - not the messenger. If you can!

[Drip_Torch]

^^^ Yeah, and good luck with that.

Nice Bump! Timely too.

@BCGEU In two days nearly 2000 people have already added their name to the call for a public inquiry into money laundering, criminal gangs and their links to the overdose and housing crises.

https://twitter.com/bcgeu/status/1088214455291326465

http://www.publicinquirynow.ca

Police believe some of the money has gone into luxury real estate — and that as much as $5 billion could have been laundered in Vancouver homes since 2012.

https://globalnews.ca/news/4780016/bc-p ... aundering/

@MikeSmythNews

[Cactusflower]

I'd like to thank 'old trucker' for bringing this topic back. I'm sure there are readers who weren't aware of this BC Liberal history. And I find it interesting to note that most of those posters from 2013 are no longer to be seen on these forums. Could it be that they, like many others have found the BC Lib fans here to be unbearably rude so have moved on to other sites?