The Dual-Pronged RailGate Defense Strategy

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At least according to the lawyer for David Basi, Michael Bolton, in an interview with Mike Smyth on the (notso) Giant'98 this afternoon....

(paraphrasing)

1) The defendants were only following their boss' orders.

2) The lobbyists that 'interacted' with the defendants were also getting information from other folks in the government.

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Now.

We've known all about #1 for a long time now.

And as for #2.....?

Well, that puts things in a whole different perspective, doesn't it, especially if you recall a little matter that some, Vaughn Palmer included, have described as being a putative 'Quid Pro Quo' and which the RailGate judge herself, Mdme. Justice Bennett, once noted could have been a potential 'Consolation Prize'.

And what's that all about?

Well, the suggestion that there was a quid pro deal in place, made between the government and one of the junior bidders that was brokered with the help of a government-connected lobby shop, to award the Roberts Bank Spur Line to the junior bidder if it stayed in the big mainline game to the end to provide the government competitive cover to legitimize it's done (eg. fixed) deal with the one senior bidder that also stayed in the game to the end.

So there you have it.

All you really need to know to understand this thing.....in one simultaneously simple and convoluted paragraph.

OK?


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In related, PAB-assisted news....Apparently the heat has died down enough that the Premier has decided to head to Kelowna....And in my opinion, we are not talking about the heat of the fires themselves......Will be interesting to see if he actually has an open presser or if it's all controlled ambush interviews/calls to friendlies....


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