HisVille
The first of the TimberWest civil trials is underway and the plaintiffs have asked former BC Liberal 'Minister of Everything' Mr. Rich Coleman to testify.
Why?
Well, as he so often does, Andrew MacLeod of the The Tyee picks up the story:
...The plaintiffs want Coleman to testify because documents suggest he helped TimberWest, which was then publicly traded and having financial trouble, find a buyer. At the time Coleman was the province’s forest minister.
“Have a green light,” Coleman wrote to then TimberWest CEO McElligott in a May 8, 2008, email. “Need to meet on implementation. Made the sale, not sure they understand what they bought but they did. The roll out will be critical. Also have a reluctant partner in the east. They will play when pushed.”...
Thing is, the good Mr. Coleman and his legal folks have successfully made the case that he does not have to testify due to a thing called 'Parlimentary Privilege':
...(I)n a Jan. 24 letter on government letterhead, lawyer Darcie Suntjens argued that a sitting MLA can’t be compelled to appear in court while the legislature is in session.
Suntjens cited parliamentary privilege, a form of legal protection intended to allow elected officials to fulfill their duties.
The legislature stopped sitting at the end of November and isn’t scheduled to resume sitting until Feb. 12. Coleman, a Liberal MLA, sits in opposition.
Suntjens said in her letter that while the legislature is adjourned, it is still technically in session and therefore Coleman can’t be compelled to testify even if he is available...
And here we thought that Mr. Coleman decided not to run for Mayor of Surrey because he just might not win despite the 'overwhelming support' of the fine folks south of the Fraser.
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The irony of all this?
Well, if Mr. Coleman and friends were still running things it is very likely that the Ledge wouldn't again be in session until, like, November of 2021.
Either that or until their private jet-assisted helicopters are/were grounded for good.
If you get my drift.
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Of course, it would not be surprising to learn that at least a few reasonable, and reasonably-well informed (regardless the Postmedia/Global/Chorus/BlackPress cartel's best efforts), British Columbians could very well be asking themselves....'Why, exactly, does Mr. Coleman not want to tell his side of the story?'
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9 comments:
What you have left out with this here parliamentary privilege regarding MLA Coleman et al is .... why was the rush of spending $6 million dollars on killing the BC Rail Trial when all the Members of the Legislative Assembly that were slated to be called up by the defense attorneys were protected? Why not just let the trial continue to its bitter end.
Were the Defendents Basi, Virk and Basi bought off after being presented with the grim 'facts' that protesting would be futile?
Membership has its privileges to be sure. But there were a whole lot of non-members with much to fear from continuance of that trial, and they would view some of it from the witness stand. Some of them control the BC Liberals and their privileged members. I fear that some control more than that, which explains why justice has so far been denied to the citizens of British Columbia. Damn pity Mr. Horgan and his privileged lot don’t care about that.
Coleman must have a lot to fear here as well, otherwise he should be happy to show up and clear his name. Instead he stretches the privilege granted to honorable members to the nth degree using lawyers on the public dime to avoid assisting the court in finding the truth.
Why would he do that?
Chief among the 'non-members' in the Fall of 2010?
Why, none other than the formerly highly harmonious Mr. Collins, of course.
Interestingly, there was a another player in the Railgate denouement who also spent time on the harmonious high altitude highway.
Believe it...
Or not.
.
Yes, and their employer on that highway just happened to be the very, very generous donor who helped out the “Basi Boys” et al in their federal Liberal antics before they all convened to infest and feed off the BC Legislature after the 2001 NDP massacre.
That generous billionaire was in a spot of bother himself at the time the BC Rail trial was featuring his former beneficiaries and employees. Namely charges of unlawful confinement, possession of cocaine, and possession of an unregistered firearm. He needed a break from the justice system as much as some other people needed it. And wouldn’t you know, it worked out just fine for all of them. One couldn’t tell a quid from a quo without a program.
As Santa would say, “Ho, Ho, Ho!!
And as the moribund (on corruption inquiries) NDP would say, “Hunh?”
Lew--
But.
Just to be clear...
There was no inducement.
Or some such thing.
.
“What is clear is that there was no legally binding deal. There couldn’t be. The waiver of recovery of fees was not and could not be an inducement to plead guilty . As a matter of law they were not connected.” - Former Attorney General Geoff Plant 28 March 2012.
The problem for Mr. Plant is that we now know as a matter of record there was a legally binding deal connecting the waiver directly to the guilty pleas.
The problem for the citizens of BC is that our current Attorney General couldn’t care less.
Lew @ 5.34 pm, when you say “The problem for the citizens of BC is that our current Attorney General couldn’t care less.” sadly you’re right.
There are any number of issues the NDP could go after, with absolutely no downside but for whatever reason they seem very reluctant. I’m almost convinced there is a quid pro quo whereby; if we don’t hammer you when warranted, you won’t do the same when we are in the hot seat. I may be wrong but it looks to me that’s the way the game is played.
So while David Eby makes the minimal right noises, he should remember that they are governing with a tenuous hold. By letting do the right thing for the Province and it’s citizens slip away, it’s more than likely next election a repeat of the last 16 years or so begins again. B.C. becomes an ATM for the favored ones.
https://thetyee.ca/News/2018/06/12/Pension-Funds-Scooped-Up-TimberWest/
90 m no bid site. C ?
Too bad we won't see Big Rich testify. Was so looking forward to it. Would have shovelled the driveway to get out. Coleman isn't going to testify. Once he opens his mouth, there may be other questions, and then other questions. As some one taught me a long time ago, never answer the first question and every thing will be fine. We saw it at the Basi/Virk trial. They couldn't remember, no recollection, etc. That is all that will happen if they have an investigation or inquiry, etc. If Eby can't get his hands on documents, there is nothing much he can do to prove anything. The B.C. Lieberals certainly aren't going to release anything. Timber West ditto. If they had Coleman on the stand, he would have a case of temporary early onset of dementia, recovery, once the trial was over.
we know John Doyle wasn't happy about Big Rich's changes which "favoured" Western Forest Products, of which his brother was an executive. If we really want to know what went on in the forest industry, we need to start around 2008 or perhaps the year before, when Campbell started selling off Crown Land.
We need to remember, even if we get Coleman on the stand anywhere for anything, he has the right to not speak, as in not incriminate himself and with no documents, not much can be done.
The e mail which is referred to, well one pension fund is the one from B.C. and the second is the one for federal workers, military and the RCMP. When the RCMP found out they'd bought into timber west and Timber West was doing business with a former member or member of the Hell's Angels, he too lost his contract.
I used to think we needed to move on and put the past behind us, but when you have the Timber West "deal", all the other forested land deals starting in 2007/8, B.C. rail, money laundering, the Leg. scandal, omg, we need something to clean the pallet. We don't know why Horgan doesn't want an inquiry, but it may not be what he wants, its what Meggs wants. We all know what happened to Vancouver real estate. We know Meggs and Robertson were on council, we know what the developers got, so who has more to loose in the NDP than Meggs? No one I can think of. it maybe the NDP simply doesn't want to be mired in a load of shit which will go on for a decade, to get to the bottom of it.
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