OFF THE RAILS

The Globe & Mail has already forgiven and pardoned the Premier.

In an editorial this morning, they sidestep the thorny issue of culpability, perhaps criminality, certainly obstruction of justice, by calling the wilful destruction of emails "ineptitude."

Cute.

For the rest of us, let us remind ourselves what this is all about.

This government sold BC Rail to CN for $1 Billion in 2003.

In the Basi-Virk trial, which has been going on ever since, questions are being raised about corruption, privileged information, payoffs and the like.

First we learned that hosts of emails from the office of the Premier and cabinet members had been "lost" or deleted.

Now, we are told that these missing pieces of evidence in a criminal trial may have been deleted as recently as this May.

The Premier remains closed-mouthed about the entire affair. Quoting the departed Opaque One, he tells us that this all before the courts.

Right.

The stench is unbearable.

Defence lawyers are quite right to ask the BC Supreme Court to demand that the government produce these email records.

And the opposition NDP are quite right to call for a special investigation.

The stench is unbearable.

Doesn't anybody in this province care about democracy and the law?

THE MAYBE MAYOR

Trials and surveys.

Such are the mark of the undecided.

May we say, "Wishy-washy?"

The New Age Mayor, who has dedicated himself to eradicating homelessness in our lifetime, has a problem.

Rich Coleman, the Provincial Housing Minister, has called Hizzoner "a rank amateur."

How it pains me to credit a BC Government Minister with anything, but in this case...

The Mayor opens two shelters "under the Granville Bridge."

Get serious. For 30 years now, "under the Granville Bridge" has meant multi-million dollar view condos, Beach walks and a short boat trip to Granville Island.

There's a coffee shop I favor in that neighbourhood. The owners and the regulars will rant and rave about the drug addicts and needles and pee and poo at the drop of a cappuccino spoon.

As they should. Who asked for this?

Of course, like the Burrard Bridge idiocy, this council doesn't even have the courage of its own wonky convictions. The Bicycle lane musical comedy is a 3 month trial. At one point something million. Nice trail.

The shelters are trials.

Surveys are being taken as we speak.

It's not bad enough that they don't know what they're doing and that they are doing the wrong things in the wrong places.

But at least believe in your own bull.