Legislative raid trial defence lawyer Kevin McCullough has provided new details on payments made by British Columbia Railway Co. to former provincial Liberal campaign co-chair Patrick Kinsella's firms between 2002 and 2005. In court today, Mr. McCullough reminded presiding British Columbia Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth Bennett "there is an email from 2004 to Mr. Kevin Mahoney, then vice-president of BC Rail, from another executive, asking: 'Why are we paying this guy?' and the response is that Kinsella is a 'backroom Liberal.'" This, according to The Vancouver Sun's Neal Hall.
Deep Throat: "What was Mr. Kinsella doing on behalf of BC Rail AND CN?"
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B.C. Rail paid Liberal insider
A-G Wally Oppal cites court case in refusing to discuss payment
Michael Smyth, The ProvincePatrick Kinsella, a friend of Premier Gordon Campbell and one of the most powerful stringpullers in the B.C. Liberal party, has made a killing on government contracts since guiding his pals to power in 2001.
Kinsella was co-chairman of the Liberal election campaign that year. He was a top Liberal strategist again in 2005 when Campbell was re-elected.
When he wasn't running Liberal election campaigns, Kinsella was busy running a lucrative business as a government-relations consultant. His speciality: helping corporate clients like Accenture and Alcan bag juicy contracts with the Campbell government.
"In 2002, he started getting on the payroll and made 300 grand — presumably to advise on exactly how to privatize B.C. Rail!"
But "presuming" anything on this file is a dangerous game. The simple question is: Why exactly did B.C. Rail pay Kinsella $300,000? Enter the attorney-general: Wally "Stonewally" Oppal.
"I won't answer the question," Oppal stonewalled once again. "It is before the courts." He's referring, of course, to the corruption charges levelled against three former government insiders after the B.C. Rail freight division was sold to private-sector rival CN Rail for $1 billion in 2003.
Comments:
The morons in Point Grey are going to re-elect Gordon Campbell in a few weeks whether the rest of British Columbia likes it or not. - It's called democracy folks. - Gordon Campbell isn't electing himself is he. - It's way past time to shine a very bright light on the citizens of Point Grey who have been electing and re-electing Gordon Campbell since 1996. - Point Grey doesn't care that Gordon Campbell has embarrassed us internationally. - Point Grey doesn't care that BC taxpayers had to pay $85 million in restitution after the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that Gordon Campbell violated the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms when he raped the HEU workers contract in the middle of the night like a thief. - Point Grey certainly doesn't care about about Gordon Campbell's selling of B.C. Rail. - Gordon Campbell may be a convicted drunk driver but he's Point Grey's convicted drunk driver and they worship the ground he walks on. - In a few weeks Point Grey will once again be proud to prove their love for Gordon Campbell. - It's called democracy folks. - That's just the way it is.
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Stonewally to the fore as NDP pounds Kinsella connection
By Vaughn Palmer, Vancouver Sun. March 12, 2009
What was the money for? Over the two days, New Democrats framed the question in a variety of ways. Here, for instance, was MLA John Horgan in full partisan flight: "Will the premier tell us why his pal got $300,000? Did he write a memo? Did he send an e-mail? Did he say that everything was fine? Is the train running on time? What the heck did he do?"
Premier Gordon Campbell was sitting right there in the house as Horgan and his colleagues pitched their questions.
He studied his briefing materials and chatted to adjacent ministers. At times he appeared to be amused, at other stony silent. The one thing he didn't do was get to his feet and answer.
Cabinet minister. Attorney-general. Ex-appeal court judge. Officer of the court. Nice guy, too. But really, Mr. Attorney-General, isn't this just an extremely convenient way to protect the premier from having to answer what his campaign chair was doing for 300 grand?So could Oppal at least find out whether the Kinsella contract was, in fact, a matter before the courts? "No I'm not going to find out."Why?
"It's not my job to find out. That's something that you people should do."
One last question and this time let's follow the money. What was the $297,000 for?
"I don't know what the $297,000 is for and it is not my business.
"Doesn't know. Won't try to find out. Willing to stand there day after day and say nothing.
Which makes him the perfect foil to provide cover for the premier in this political embarrassment.
What the Libs don't want us to know
Bill 23 would limit truth-finding public inquiries.. The Tyee. May 10, 2006.
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