EXCLUSIVE BREAKING NEWS: Who Do You Think Was Helping Negotiate the ‘Basi-Virk’ Settlement in the Background?
Not long ago I did a post on the departure of the always honourable Barry Penner from his post as Attorney General.
Far from the political hackery of Mike deJong, Mr. Penner understood his position as being singularly independent and above reproach–certainly above politics.
In a now infamous Cabinet meeting, right before Mr. Penner’s resigned as Attorney General, Premier Clark upbraided him for not appealing the court ruling giving Auditor General John Doyle the documents to the six million dollar settlement with Dave Basi and Bob Virk.
It was PART of the reason Mr. Penner felt he could no longer work with this Premier. He’s admitted that to a few mutual friends, and I commend him for that–the admission itself, not necessarily that it was revealed to friends.
But a significant part of Mr. Penner’s departure was also rooted in a very inappropriate phone call made by former Attorney General Wally Oppal, to Mr. Penner, with respect to the missing women’s inquiry. Judge Oppal, who should clearly know better, must have had an exceedingly weak moment and missed the ironclad protocol which dictates that, in his position, you don’t call the sitting Attorney General in such a pedestrian, casual manner and expect anything but what Mr. Penner told the Premier was appropriate recourse: Inclusive of past indiscretions and public comments, Judge Oppal should be removed as head of the commission he was and remains overseeing.
The Premier wouldn’t budge, though. Apparently, Ms. Clark saw nothing wrong with Judge Oppal’s conduct and it was there Mr. Penner felt his word, as BC’s top legal beagle, was worthless to the woman who, irrefutably, isn’t qualified to scrape dried gum from under the legislature’s desks, much less lead a province.
It was a VERY strange position for Ms. Clark to take, considering she was advised by others in Cabinet, that Mr. Penner’s position would be untenable and she needed to act immediately. But as is her way–identically to how it was with her predecessor–His Excellency the High Commissioner, she thumbed her nose at the advice.
I wondered aloud to friends on both government and opposition benches, why she would do this–a galling, ignorant act, even for her.
Well, I may just have stumbled on the answer.
Nothing moves Christy Clark like burying the BC Rail/’Basi-Virk’ scandal as far away from her as possible. She’d do it in a heartbeat if she could. Parenthetically, you should know that her political operatives have painted a target on my back (because as is their forever modus operandi, they’re too cowardly to face me) and are “developing a file” to discredit me. I’ve heard this now several times from reliable sources, even a couple of people close to Ms. Clark that have assured me they will bolt her bailiwick if she attempts this (you see, the Premier and I know many of the same people and apparently only two have scruples). As one put it late last night, “she’s had it with you, you’re killing her, I’m telling you watch your back man…everything is on the table for her, she’ll get anything on you and send it off to her pals in the media or anyone else that will take it a run with it…your business, your family, nothing is off limits, I heard her say it myself…if she does it, I’ll tell you everything and then I’m done with her, you have my word…) Let’s see…
But back to her fear of the BC Rail file….
Guess who was negotiating with Special Prosecutor Bill Berardino to close the six million settlement with Messers Basi and Virk?
Wally Oppal.
I have it on excellent authority that his was the pivotal role in getting the deal done. In fact, I have someone who was directly connected to the process.
So, now you no longer need wonder how Judge Oppal thought he could just pick up the phone and call Mr. Penner on a whim.
Or why Premier Clark didn’t fire him from the commission….and lost an honourable man from Cabinet in the process.
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I’ll be back tomorrow and/or through the weekend.
Be safe out there, the frost is out in force.
But do enjoy the sun, while it lasts.
Another good one Alex. Keep safe!!
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Thanks Bruce. Will do.
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“Guess who was negotiating with Special Prosecutor Bill Berardino to close the six million settlement with Messers Basi and Virk?
Wally Oppal.”
Interesting! And who was Wacky Wally representing? Both Camps perhaps? … more likely Basi/Virk?
Alex – brilliant reporting and we are all in your debt.
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His role was intermediary. But he got the govts bidding done.
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The plot thickens?
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That should have been a statement, not a question.
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I kind of meant it that way. Wasn`t it Wally said “it`s before the courts” over and over and over…………
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Of course. And then to show how much faith he had in the same courts and due process he cut a deal that would absolve his political masters of public humiliation–and HIGH LIKELY WORSE, making sure they never saw the inside of those courts.
Lovely chap.
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If they go after you you’ll get a lot of free publicity and they’ll bring it on themselves. If God wants to punish someone He first disables their brains. I’m still curious how low some otherwise intelligent in a way brown-nosers in good standing can fall morally and ethically.
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Very, apparently.
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You know, I can’t help but make comparisons between the Prom Queen and her predecessor. Every time I see her flashing her veneered teeth in the media, I always get this thought in the back of my mind “how would the drunk handle situations like this?”
Sometimes I think the province would have been better off if he was still at the helm, and sometimes not, because of his, um, eroding mental health to say the least.
She is DESTROYING this province and the saddest part is most of the citizens are sheeple who are blinded by a skirt and a pretty smile.
And I always get Wally Oppal and Kash Heed mixed up… not hard to do seeing as that both of them are, well, slippery little suckers.
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“blinded by a skirt and a pretty smile.”
Things that often beguiled me in my single days but she is so obvious & phony that even I wouldn’t fall for it. And that’s pretty sad.
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Unfortunately there’s still people out there blinded by a skirt and a pretty smile. The smart ones see through her phony BS however.
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Until CLBC is fixed, I see right thru it. This is a Premier who quite frankly has lost her way.
But hey if I drove a car, this would be my bumper sticker: Charter member of the “BCLib Gentlemen Prefer Alise Mills 99.9% to Christy Clark” Club.
Perhaps there should be another: “Christy Clark = Diet Campbell”
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Tip of the hat to “Smokin’ Halo” for this comment:
“And I always get Wally Oppal and Kash Heed mixed up… not hard to do seeing as that both of them are, well, slippery little suckers.”
Too true.
I always thought it was inappropriate for a former judge to get into politics. Too much concentration or collusion of power, I thought (still do).
Then, when I watched Mr. Oppal’s facile, smarmy handling of the media as cabinet minister, I became more concerned. I knew trouble was really brewing when the media started to fawn over Oppal as a “highly-regarded judge”.
I recall CBC Radio’s The Current bringing him on a panel as an expert in …judicial conduct AFTER he had lost his last election bid. My God, the CBC staffers in head office/Toronto are either clueless or complicit re BC politics.
The judiciary and courts in Canada are in a great deal of trouble. They are fast losing the respect of ordinary citizens, and that’s with the public only seeing the tip of the iceberg in terms of misconduct by the legal industry.
Want to know how thoroughly the judiciary looks after its own? Have a look at these stories just published about how the courts have hidden the facts about a lawyer convicted of possession of child pornography:
http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1080416–the-criminal-case-you-can-t-know-about
http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/article/1081087–an-unexplained-and-unhealthy-secrecy
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“The judiciary and courts in Canada are in a great deal of trouble. They are fast losing the respect of ordinary citizens, and that’s with the public only seeing the tip of the iceberg in terms of misconduct by the legal industry.”
So true.
The Baker case is interesting. I’ve been following it for some time….
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I’m not surprised at anything this bunch of crooks do. They are an insult to the true liberal and Red Tories of the province who believe in progressive laws and social programs. I would hope they cringe when they look in the mirror each day. Alas, I believe they have a good laugh and think we’re bumpkins!
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This government’s behavior and ethics are Oppal-ing!
Thanks again, Alex! Have a great weekend!
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I’m there, pal, I’m there…
You too!
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A question that arises for me concerning Wally Oppal’s ethics and transparency.
If this is the case with Mr. Oppal, I have great concerns over his participation in the Missing Women’s Inquiry going on now in Vancouver.
Can he be trusted and does he deserve the enormous amount of money he is receiving. I notice he has asked for an extension, at what price to the taxpayers, and is it necessary?
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Good question(s).
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Oppal is getting $1,500 per day and the extension goes to June 2012.
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Yes, and in Cabinet when it came up, not a peep from anyone except Coleman and deJong, who both supported the extension and outrageous pay.
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Plus his pension(s) and whatever he gleans as a Chancellor of the Twin Rivers University in Kamloops.
Busy man! But then one with his inumerable talents is in great demand.
I guess.
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Geeeeez- How many greasy fingerprints are smeared all over this house of glass? Keep lobbing the rocks It’s going to shatter soon. If you’re ever around Brockton on a Wednesday late afternoon, tell Pat your Bill’s guest and allow me to buy you a few well deserved drams. (you can bring your cleats as well if you want)
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Thanks bro. I might take you up on that.
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Oooops you’re Bill’s guest, not your.
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On October 20, 2010 David Loukidelis issued a public statement on the Basi/Virk deal. He stated, “No one outside the Legal Services Branch, myself and the Deputy Minister of Finance had any knowledge of this or involvement. For clarity, neither the special prosecutor nor the Attorney General had any knowledge of the matter or any involvement in this.”
I don’t see any room in there for Wally.
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Alex, she and her minions fear your proven ability to expose their lies and corruption. They lack integrity, and it has left them in a position where they are unable to barter for the truth. She is desperate, insecure, and jealously clinging to power by any means. Time is running out. The voters know it and so does her caucus.
Anger is cruel, and wrath is like a flood, but jealousy is even more dangerous. (Prov 27:4)
Take care my friend.
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Bless you brother.
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There certainly would appear to be a “history” between Oppal and deJong.
“You do me a favor and I will return the favor”.
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“Guess who was negotiating with Special Prosecutor Bill Berardino to close the six million settlement with Messers Basi and Virk?
Wally Oppal”
?????????????? !!!!!! HOLY EXCREMENT !!
OK man, gotta tell you, you have blind-sided me there ! As you and I have discussed in the past, I have spent many an hour in his court, in his chambers and on a fishing lake with him. This, if it is really true, is an absolute and total shock and very serious loss of faith in someone I was SURE had principles. I will try again to reel in some strings to confirm.
I’m in shock, and that ain’t easy.
j
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Sorry pal. It’s the truth.
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Damn it! Still have to dig on my own, you understand.
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Buddy, if there’s one guy who understands having to do your own digging, it’s me.
I had this Wally story come at me from about a half dozen sources and three or four times before I got the source closest to the pin.
The first dig was about five months ago…
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Thank you, thank you, thank you! I try not to miss a day of your posts but I actually missed a couple this week. I should have known you’d be doing more stellar work! While I’m not enamoured by the political alternatives, it will be a great and giddy day when there is a semblance of political, economic, and legal justice in BC. To think of those who stepped down or were demonized by the press for ‘scandals’ of the past while this party routinely run amok and break every rule in the book is numbing. Thank you, thank you, thank you for continuing to investigate and publish at such great personal cost. You are restoring my hope for our future. Our systems aren’t just broken, they’re being dismantled and desecrated daily but you are the only one who is connecting the very big, obvious, glaring dots and, of course, the small, substantiating ones that add dimension to this very ugly picture. Kudos, Alex!
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Thank you.
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I have no doubt they will come after you,look what both levels of gov’t (feds and provincial ) have tried to do to Alexandra Morton,and now their BS is comeing home to roost…looks good on them…be safe and keep up the good work
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Thanks. I’ll try.
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Oh no … a file. Don’t let on it was a nervous fart … say you ate some turkey or something … maybe pickled eggs.
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Or start a rumor about yourself. State that you were bitten by a radioactive spider.
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Which frat were you in? LOL!
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ΔΤΧ
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Haha! Brilliant!
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It’s obvious now why Oppal got the inquiry job and the HUGE payout courtesy of us taxpayers. I always thought that Oppal was dirty, now I know for sure……….Scum of the earth !!!!
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Really? Who do you think is more qualified and available? Furlong?
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How about John Doyle??? Or Sheila Fraser. Even though they’re not lawyers per se, they could follow the slimy trail these criminals have laid and render a verdict (or maybe have them appoint a worthy individual, instead of the crooked gov’t). I trust Doyle and Fraser miles ahead of anyone in the present day gov’t, including all judges.
Furlong is another one of those puppets.
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i would like to nominate Alex for the Webster award and Baldry, Smithe, Palmer, Bill Good etc for the worst journalism reporting in Canadian history.
man this gets good, keep up the good work!
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Who was it that gave Wally Oppal the nick name “Stone Wally” for his repeated “delay tactic” answers in the legislature?
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The fact that he loved up to the name and exceeded it by several magnitudes was an impressive accomplishment.
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HAH !
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Wally has gone from Judging Whores
To being A Whore
To finding out how The Police treat Whores
Sad
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Wally Oppal and Bill Berardino are very good friends.
Bill gave Wally a personal $1000 donation before the 2005 election during the same period of time Special Prosecutor Berardino was considering charges relating to political dirty tricks (media monitoring contracts) with the BC Liberals!
It only takes a blogger with guts to out these well connected 1%ers.
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Awesome Alex. Look both ways when crossing the street. lolo take care.
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Will do.
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Vancouver Real Estate = Drug Money
The very same pack of criminals that got WAC Bennett’s off spring to sell out their Grandfathers dream and take on insider trading instead.
The rot is deep, time to draw the line and take this legacy of corruption that has had a long list of leaders from Trudeau, Mulroney, Chretien, Martin, Campbell, Clark, from top to bottom, both provincial and federal, Canadians have been far too trusting and tolerant of the most despicable, and dishonest of individuals.
Because of this, Canada has become home to the worlds worst stock frauds, BREX, the worst civil terrorist acts, Air India, the home of the most dishonest CEO’s from World Com to Enron. The land where dishonest and corrupt business, crime business, can and does operate with impunity with the help of charted Canadian Banks and other financial institutions. Where our national legal firms use, as a selling point, for their service over seas, their abilities to break local laws and launder mountains of stolen loot.
Time to bring back capital punishment for white collar crime. Those that launder money, lie and cheat while in public office, participate in financial crimes such as stock fraud, insider trading, obstruction of justice. It is needed because those that should know better simply don’t care, it is time to remind the deeply corrupt and unredeemed that the price for dishonesty, the price for cheating the public interest is both severe and permanent with no second chance.
The public’s interest, in good governance, civil society and public safety trumps all. It is simply not acceptable,with corruption in high places leading to mentally handicapped children left only for weeks with a dead mother. Mentally handicapped young men sent to jail because there is no place to care for them. Mentally disabled teenagers being thrown away left alone in isolation simply because they have turned 19 years of age. These are the results of our so called great Canada, our so called best place on earth, British Colombia.
These are the results of being tolerant of crime and corruption in high places. These are the results when we don’t do our civil duty and report the news. Especially when one is being payed to do so.
Take a stand speak out, demand that organized crime, whether it is gangsters pretending to be politicians or terrorists pretending to be a religious order, must be prosecuted and punished to the maximum extent of the law, which must include capital punishment for the law to be effective.
Becoming the third world is not progress it is a failure. Time to take a stand and have the real criminals punished, once and for all.
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“These are the results of our so called great Canada”.
Mr. VRE=DM, you seem to have All of the injustice and ALL the names and places in Your grasp.
Would YOU go to jail like Alex for the truth.
It may be YOUR so called great Canada, but for Sure it Is my Home.
You write with such passion from an ivory tower, but fall from grace.
What You write and what I write(From a fellow Canadian).
Have many meanings.
I have a hundred of so bit’s of history in this “So called great Canada”.
To which I am proud.
BC is a very young province with All of it’s burps.
YOU can make it better…………….Mr VRE=DM.
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Re ” How to deal with Canadas’ corrupt politicians, and or business leaders”
……… Either we as the electorate deal with this or (unfortunately) someone else will…. I hate to sound like a broken record on this one but the US Dept of Justice will go to the Earth’s end to investigate, charge and convict corruption that affects their country.
It’s sad really. We used to have a RCM Police force that had a “Hollywood” reputation for “always getting their man”. Sadly, they have become a poor shadow of their past. Tasering innocent passengers to death in public airports while being VIDEOed and then LYING about it!
Some people hate the idea of an extra jurisdictional police force from another country laying charges in Canada. I personally relish the though of seeing Christy charged with “Insider Trading” and in handcuffs being led to a private lear jet with US Dept. Of Justice stamped on the side of it at the Vancouver airport. A 20 prison sentence staring her in the face. Wanna bet she’d sell everyone out to cut a deal?
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Christy Clark’s leaking of Cabinet confidences was overlooked by the RCMP and Special Prosecutor.
She committed a breach of trust. Plain and simple. The question we must ask, is why. Why do she do it? What was in it for her? And I’d like to hear her answer that and a few additional questions under oath, before a judicial inquiry.
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If you were in the military AGT that would be considered a tactical nuclear strike. Well done. The first hoist of my comrades of Standard tonight is to you.
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Thank you, very kind.
Although, I’m not sure what it is about Russian Standard, but I can’t drink it. I find it gives me an uneven feeling and hits me hard.
I much prefer Belvedere or my favorite, Ketel One.
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EXCLUSIVE BREAKING NEWS: The first non elected Premier to bring BC’s economy to a grinding halt coupled with the highest unemployment rate in Canada. With the Christy Liberals staving off an election for fear of losing, the electorates in BC speak loudly and have driven Ms Christy Clark from office for not getting a true mandate from them.
Mike DeJong has forwarded her nomination to be awarded the Order of British Columbia. MLA Kash Heed has strongly supported this nomination and has given up his seat in parliament to allow Wally Oppal to run in his riding with hope to become the next Liberal leader.
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After having read your BC Liberal BC Rail scandal series of reports and all the comments of your loyal and not-too-much-so readers I have a feeling that George Orwell’s “Animal Farm” needs to be re-visited and a new cast of characters made (IMHO). Haven’t read anything like this since arriving in Canada in late 1980s. That’s quite a zoo. Bill Vander Zalm, not a university grad, wasn’t at least crooked and had an impressive track record of hard and honest work plus a significant business acumen, but he was often putting his mouth in gear before his brain got to its working speed. Snooki, on the other hand, is a pure disgrace to this province and I firmly believe that quite a few rats will not have enough time to escape ship before sinking in crap of their own make. Waiting for more and wishing you the best of luck and blessings!
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Thank you, Observer.
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Lets do a little paining by numbers.
de Jong succeeds Oppal as Attorney General. Oppal is forced out of his Vancouver-Fraserview riding by Gordon Campbell in favor of Kash Heed. Oppal runs in South Delta and is defeated. de Jong appoints Oppal to head the Missing Women’s Inquiry. My, how cozy!
I am curious to know if Heed has had anything to do with the BCR scandal.
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You’re stretching way too far. Heed had nothing to do with BC Rail.
He was still a cop.
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A day in the life of the Liberals…….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCBbKBSttFw
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I especially liked the bit about scraping gum from the bottom of a seat in the Ledg. On CTV this evening she was telling us about the highlights in her life. almost gagged. The is such a phoney
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Indeed.
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Alex;
Waiting for Phase III…
BTW, http://alexgtsakumis.com/ should be on the bumper stickers, message boards and the like of all true friends of BC, regardless of party.
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Thanks Josef. Too kind.
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Off topic alert … maybe.
My two favorite quotes:
My life is simple, my food is plain, and my quarters are uncluttered. In all things, I have sought clarity. I face the troubles and problems of life and death willingly. Virtue, integrity and courage are my priorities. I can be approached, but never pushed; befriended but never coerced; killed but never shamed. — Yi Sun-sin
It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog. — Mark Twain
http://tinyurl.com/3km4vd2
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Brilliant!
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Good on you Alex. I may have had the original source you have but not the others. I wrote on this about a year ago, but got nowhere.
Here’s why it’s true: Someone had to have played this role because there were two parts to the deal, two parts that had to be brought together despite the fact that the SP was impelled not to talk with the government.
Basi and Virk would not settle without 1. no jail time and 2. the indemnity. The SP could only negotiate the jail time part of the plea bargain. The SP needed someone to work the indemnity part with the government. The question no one has answered until now is who instructed the government to put together an indemnity package so the SP could cut a deal that the government was supposed to have no knowledge of?
Obviously someone had to go from the SP to the government, and not just anyone in the government but someone high enough to order everyone else around, similar to the Boss mine deal. From what I was told I believe it was SP to Wally to Seckel and then back.
Your excellent sources have helped moved the story forward. Great work.
Ian
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Seckel was indeed the conduit. There is no question about that, but he is VERY close to Campbell and not at all to Clark, so he was expendable. But Whitmarsh and Loukidelis know where all the bodies are buried. If BC Liberal caucus had any collective integrity, they would go after both of them for the FULL DETAILS of the deal. That was what was going to happen on Nov 4th last year, but mysteriously, Gordon Campbell resigned as Premier ONE DAY EARLIER. Coincidence? Yeah, sure thing….
BTW, I am so pleased that you are able to communicate. I hope you’re feeling better and pray that you will beat your cancer. People like you are what the NDP need more of. Take care of yourself, Ian. God bless.
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Alex, I’m simply thinking out loud here, but I have had my suspicions about “the affable after dinner speaker” one Mr. Opal for several years.
When one considers the sheer number of people in our Province that have sat on the Bench, WHY has it been Wally “all the time” and only Wally” It was ALWAYS Wally when he was on the Bench, that the Mainstream Media listened to on bended knee, and it’s ALWAYS Wally since he has “retired” that is invited back to the Public Trough by the Powers That Be.
Something in my personal opinion stinks, and it’s not in Denmark!
No conspiracy theories here, just thinking out loud………………
Cheers
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You raise a very good point. Yesterday, I was briefly visiting with a friend on gang squad and he was asking the EXACT same question. It seems that Wally has had a walk of fame, of sorts, for a very long time.
Interesting….let me dig a little.
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Whay was/is Wally Oppal always chosen?
Hmmmmm
A) Well Connected
B) A Visible minority( which the politically correct crowd LOVE)
C) Does what he’s told with few questions asked.
D) Willing to work for obscene amounts of money( couldnt we all be so lucky)
E) Loves the limelight
F) Loves to Schmooes with the 1%
Did I miss anything people?
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Yeah, the main one.
He’s perfectly willing to subvert the truth about BC Rail, accordingly sinking the public, with intent, and not giving a fly damn about such breathtaking ethical breaches.
Despicable.
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How in hell can the public have any confidence in the conduct of the Missing Women Commission of Inquiry? Wally Oppal’s appointment was already questionable and controversial. But one of the major mandates of the commission is to investigate a decision by a Branch of the Ministry of Attorney General, and we now learn he was secretly involved with that Ministry cooking a deal that would hide the details of one of the biggest scandals in BC history from the public.
There is no way he should be anywhere near that commission, let alone heading it.
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I’d agree with that assessment.
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First time caller. Impressed by what I see. Dr. Toope was given until October 28th to complete his report on the indemnity of public servants and deliver it to Minister Bond. Is there any idea what is in that report, what lessons we might learn from one of Barry Penner’s last public acts as the instigator of this review?
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A tight circle has formed but I’m working on the info.
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No doubt everyone caught Shirley Bond on CKNW this afternoon
Absolutely no politician involved in the Basi/Virk payout, only civil servants working in the established frame work.
Interestingly she said, Basi/Virk were not the “only” instance
I wonder what other guilty party has their legal fees paid for by the government?
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Shirley Bond is full of shit. Wholly and completely.
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