'FESS UP
In case you missed it, here are the first few paragraphs from this m orning's Globe:
"In a ruling that places limits on the principle of cabinet confidentiality and is expected to prove pivotal in a long-running political corruption trial, Premier Gordon Campbell and his top officials have been ordered to turn over their e-mail records to the Supreme Court of British Columbia.
Madam Justice Elizabeth Bennett said Monday she wants to review the e-mails of Mr. Campbell, his chief of staff, Martyn Brown, his executive assistant, Lara Dauphinee, his deputy minister, Brenda Eaton, his former chief adviser, Ken Dobell, and several other key elected and appointed officials.
The government is also required to produce the e-mails of former finance minister Gary Collins and former deputy premier Christy Clark, both of whom left politics in 2004."
We said here the other day that Monday would be the day the rubber hits the road.
Indeed.
In Gary Mason's front page column, he suggests this may be the beginning of an ignoble end for Premier Gordon Campbell:
"As court rulings go, this one may be without precedent in Canada: an order for a sitting Premier and select members of his staff and cabinet to turn their e-mails over to a court."
The unpsoken whote elephant in the middle of the office in this case is the distinct possibility that
"Mr. Basi and Mr. Virk leaked information to lobbyists representing one of the companies bidding for BC Rail, it was a deliberate strategy designed to drive up the price of the asset. Not only that, it was a plan approved by cabinet, including the Premier. Additionally, others were leaking information, too, including cabinet ministers."
What is most troubling is that if the emails in question can not be found or produced, the entire case, which has already cost you and me $20 Million, could be tossed out of court, in which case everyone will run away untouched and none of the truths will ever come to light.
Hold onto your horses.
This is the political story in this neck of the woods in ages and it stinks and it will get even smellier by the day.
2 comments:
What I find hilarious is that yesterday on the Bill Good Show, when he was talking to his Monday morning quarterbacks, Bill Tieleman and Norman Spector, Good described the Kelowna fires story as THE story of the day. Not wanting or intending to minimize the enormous personal loss associated with the ongoing fires, I got the distinct impression that Good was desperate for something to talk about other than Madam Justice Bennett's order that the cabinet emails might be relevant and that they should be disclosed.
Live online dialogue:
Title: Mark Hume discusses corruption probe in B.C. politics
Date: Wednesday July 22, 2009
Time: 12:00PM PDT
Mark Hume of The Globe and Mail British Columbia bureau takes your questions on the political corruption trial that is reaching all the way to the office of Premier Gordon Campbell.
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