...The 'Fiscal' Bomb That Is
Remember back in the old days when then Finance Minister Kevin Falcon (you know, the fine fellow who helped make sure we paid an extra billion or two for the ice bomb bridge) was running around telling anyone who would listen that members of the BC Liberal Government had to check with him before they started shooting their mouths off about crazy expensive boondoggle beer-goggle projects?
And remember how the mandateless (not)Premier who had dashed the Birdman's caviar dreams of never-ending P3's just ignored him and just kept saying anything that popped into her head.
Well.
The Birdman is now taking his revenge.
From A. Hoffman and J. Hunter in this morning's Globe:
Former finance minister Kevin Falcon says the political storm over a collapsed deal to build a palace for B.C. wood products in Prince George was triggered when Premier Christy Clark overstepped the bounds of what the provincial treasury was willing to pay.
On a September 19, 2011, visit to Prince George, home of two of her most powerful cabinet ministers, Ms. Clark stepped up the rhetoric around the long-promised Wood Innovation and Design Centre (WIDC), saying it would be the world’s tallest wood building....
And that put the building way over cost, and thus they couldn't deliver, and thus they had to change plans in midstream, and blah, blah, blah such that, in the end, a gaggle of former party stalwarts are all steaming mad at Christy and her Ministerial minions in Prince George and everything because their snouts were pushed out of the trough.
Got it?
Sure thing.
But here's the real kicker from Hoffman and Hunter re: those whose snouts were pushed from said trough:
...Mr. Falcon, who was replaced as Finance Minister after announcing he would not be running again in the coming election, said he is a long-time friend of Dan McLaren, one of the disgruntled proponents of the project, first mentioned in the government’s Throne Speech in 2009...
Hmmmmm.
Speaking of old-timey Golden Era Cronyism gone bad...
Here's what I, and some of my readers, really want to really know...
Why the hell is that NDIT money, money that came from the corrupt billion dollar (if it really was) boondoggle-o-palooza that was the selling-off of BC rail, being used to finance the selling of public lands to party insiders so that they can then flip said formerly public land by selling it back to us, the public, with a monument to largesse on it that we also paid for?
I mean, that really is some sweet swind....errrrr...'deal', eh?
Regardless who wins the 'ol fairness advisor-approved contract in the end.
If you get my drift.
.
5 comments:
Well..well...seems like the BC Libs are caught once again, bending the rules to create "sweet" deals for their friends. Where and when does it end? The BC rail mess has created a lot of "windfall" for a lot folks who have those "important" connections.
The taxpayers of this province, indeed the electorate, want answers...the optics of this whole mess are terrible, the perception of corruption is totally obvious.
Someone has to face the " legal music" for this travesty. Massive transfers of public held assets, to the private sector, require far more scrutiny, and more input from the public. Unfortunately , public perception of this would seem to underscore the fact that politicians cannot be trusted, nor can they be relied on to police themselves.
An answer to this corrupt mentality has to be found, Quebec is on the right track with its anti-corruption commission.
Dan Mclaren you say..... of Commonwealth Financial... AND a Past Director, of all things, BC Rail.
Past Director being a Past director of BC Rail and being involved in purchasing BC Rail property.
Which probably means he has the inside information on makes, maked, the rail corporation tick, ticked.
NOthing should be too surprising with any of this group or its tentacles. They would be a great group of citizens if they put as much effort into making an honest living, rather than relying on "connections" for some easy gravy. Any new government should put the whole NDIT program on ice to prevent this type of horseplay. And especially this project. But then making all of them(BC Liberals) a bit uncomfortable for something that is the result of giving away BC Rail has a lot of merit. Hopefully it will bite some of them hard enough that a political recovery won't happen, and they also will wonder why they let that sweet talker Campbell away with it.
Having read the original article we went looking for anything, else, like in Hansard....
Hon. C. Clark: As the Attorney has said, the fairness adviser has made her judgment about this, looked at the procurement process and determined that the process was properly followed by some non-partisan, highly regarded civil servants.
The Attorney General, who also represents Prince George, is quite right. It will be a much-welcomed change in downtown Prince George for the wood innovation centre to finally come to life. It is part of a long-term plan that this government has delivered on to make sure that we are growing our forest industry here in British Columbia.
Blah, Blah, Blah.....
And then two supplemental Questions from the Opposition Leader, Adrian Dix.
Line 1405 if you are looking for the give and take... which was found by looking for the keyword of "McLaren"
Is this the same Kevin Falconator that had to leave his so-called-job because his WIFE was having the baby and not him...complete with a platinum pension and severance package...or is HE on maternity leave?
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