543 replies to this topic

[Cassidy]

Its nice that you are all talking about expenses and 1st class trips etc...but the word I keep hearing being used by Eby and all the others is its a 'criminal' investigation....

The RCMP have actually only said that they "are aware of the activities that took place on Tuesday" and that "the RCMP has an active investigation underway, with respect to allegations pertaining to their administrative duties"

The RCMP then state that they "are not in a position to provide any other details or specifics. A thorough investigation is underway and will take the time necessary".

 

I can find no statement from the RCMP which notes that they are conducting a "criminal investigation", in fact the RCMP seemed to go out of their way to note their investigation was pertaining to "administrative duties".

[rjag]

The RCMP have actually only said that they "are aware of the activities that took place on Tuesday" and that "the RCMP has an active investigation underway, with respect to allegations pertaining to their administrative duties"

The RCMP then state that they "are not in a position to provide any other details or specifics. A thorough investigation is underway and will take the time necessary".

 

I can find no statement from the RCMP which notes that they are conducting a "criminal investigation", in fact the RCMP seemed to go out of their way to note their investigation was pertaining to "administrative duties".

 

 

Exactly, yet we hear from Eby, Mullen, Horgan et al repeatedly use the word Criminal...Eby used it several times this morning again when he was on CFAX talking to Ferraby

[Nparker]

Why would the RCMP - or any police force - be asked to investigate an administrative matter? 

Edited by Nparker, 28 November 2018 - 09:37 AM.

[rjag]

Why would the RCMP - or any police force - be asked to investigate an administrative matter?

Yup! If it was money ie expenses it would be auditors

Edited by rjag, 28 November 2018 - 09:43 AM.

[spanky123]

Why would the RCMP - or any police force - be asked to investigate an administrative matter? 

 

They didn't say administrative matter, they said "related to administrative duties".

[Cassidy]

Exactly, yet we hear from Eby, Mullen, Horgan et al repeatedly use the word Criminal...Eby used it several times this morning again when he was on CFAX talking to Ferraby

Do we actually trust a single word from any of these guys mouths currently? (at least as it relates to this issue)

I'm pretty sure I don't.

[Cassidy]

They didn't say administrative matter, they said "related to administrative duties".

Which can definitely include fraud, theft, me-too, poor judgement, insider advantage, and any one of a hundred other nefarious activities.

[Torrontes]

Take a look at the list of Supplier Payments, which are in the order of $30M per annum. 

 

https://www2.gov.bc....ly-payments.pdf

 

James did make the comment that "they are now bullet-proof" during their press conference. They may provide a clue.

 

Total travel expenses for the Leg executives are reported quarterly, for example: https://www.leg.bc.c...1-FY2018-19.pdf.  It appears that Mr. James is again on track for ~$50K in travel expenses this year. Presumably he signs off on the travel expenses of others on the Assembly payroll, which includes political staffers. 

 

The Clerk of the House reports to the Speaker. As a result, I would assume the Speaker must approve the Clerk's travel expenses.

 

The Legislative Assembly Management Committee is comprised of the following:  the Speaker, who serves as Chair; the Government House Leader; the chair of the Government Caucus; a cabinet minister; the Opposition House Leader; and the chair of the Opposition Caucus. Recent practice has been to appoint the Government Whip in place of a minister.

 

The Committee is responsible for:

• the sound administration of the Assembly's operations; 
• the provision of effective administrative and financial policies and support for the Assembly's Members in the discharge of their parliamentary and constituency responsibilities; and 
• prudent Assembly budgets and expenditures on behalf of all British Columbians.

As a result, the Committee is ultimately responsible for setting compensation, approving travel expense policies, and approving budgets and policies for Supplier expenses.

[rmpeers]

Aside from the RCMP, aren't there two special prosecutors on this? I assume the appointment of even one wouldn't be a step that was taken lightly.

[Bernard]

Just a few points:

 

Cabinet confidentiality does not apply to any of this because this is the legislative branch of government.  

Craig James, as Clerk of the House, only answers to one committee of the legislature and then really gets very little direction from them.  He is very autonomous in how he operates the legislature and in how the budget is managed.   Very little of the operation of the legislature is available for the public to scrutinize.  

The role of the Speaker does matter in relation to the Clerk of the House because the Speaker is the representative of all the MLAs but does not have true management powers.

 

As opposed to ADMs and DMs in the civil service, Clerks of the legislature have very long tenures.   MacMinn was the Clerk of the House 1993-2011, before him, Ian Horne was Clerk from 1973-93, and before that Ned DeBeck 1954-1973.   In the last 64 years, there have only been 4 Clerks of the House and all of them were previously long-term deputies.

[Bingo]

_{From Casino to Special Advisor}

The man at the centre of a mysterious criminal investigation at the B.C. legislature was terminated from his previous casino security management job, according to court documents.

Alan Mullen, special adviser to house Speaker Darryl Plecas, initiated a civil lawsuit for wrongful termination in August 2007 against his former employer Great Canadian Casinos Inc.

https://www.timescol...pers-1.23511736

[Bingo]

_{From Casino to Special Advisor}

The man at the centre of a mysterious criminal investigation at the B.C. legislature was terminated from his previous casino security management job, according to court documents.

Alan Mullen, special adviser to house Speaker Darryl Plecas, initiated a civil lawsuit for wrongful termination in August 2007 against his former employer Great Canadian Casinos Inc.

https://www.timescol...pers-1.23511736

[tjv]

Do we actually trust a single word from any of these guys mouths currently? (at least as it relates to this issue)

I'm pretty sure I don't.

Generally speaking yes, but when the Attorney General uses the word criminal several times I take that pretty seriously

[PraiseKek]

It's telling that the liberals have been trying to ask for more information in the house and the greendp have balked at it. I'd say that's a tell. 

[Mystic-Pizza]

It's telling that the liberals have been trying to ask for more information in the house and the greendp have balked at it. I'd say that's a tell.

 

Hourgan has openly stated that he has no knowledge of why the two where removed from their positions because it is under an RCMP investigation, and he also said he doesn't want to know. The less he knows the better it is for him. 

 

So if the Lying LIbs are asking him for information and not getting any.......that's why. 

[Torrontes]

If the Speaker loses the confidence of the House, and needs to be replaced, the Government's thin margin of control becomes slimmer. Hourgan is hoping like hell that the RCMP will come up with something so the old "it's before the Courts" argument will enable them to do nothing.

[Nparker]

Who is "Hourgan"?

[Wayne]

Nparker, on 30 Nov 2018 - 2:51 PM, said:

Who is "Hourgan"?

He is the guy Weaveer controls.

[PraiseKek]

Hourgan has openly stated that he has no knowledge of why the two where removed from their positions because it is under an RCMP investigation, and he also said he doesn't want to know. The less he knows the better it is for him. 

 

So if the Lying LIbs are asking him for information and not getting any.......that's why. 

 

Does anyone seriously believe that the premier doesn't know what's really going on here?

[spanky123]

Does anyone seriously believe that the premier doesn't know what's really going on here?

 

I can't see how the 3 party leaders would have agreed to the course of action taken unless there was some indication of the issue at stake.