It just doesn't get any more clear, or powerfully frightening than a Minister of Public Safety & Solicitor General, who's most important job is the administration of the laws of Her Majesty the Queen in the Province of British Columbia, a person who has taken an Oath to the Crown, to the Province and the people of BC.
A person who has put others at-risk over and over again, because of laws that he obviously feels put his own selfish wants, desires and interest on the backburner.
The people of Abbotsford, for the most part, a hardworking, God-fearing and moral bunch out there. They can't possibly think this is the person who should represent them and their community. What else don't we know about? How bad is his entire driving record?
As parents, we all need to think about the ramifications of having a Premier who was charged with drunk driving and now the Solicitor General having his own Ministry remove his license to drive for violating the laws of BC. How can anyone of us think this is tolerable? How can anyone of us think about the messages and values this is sending to our young people and all of us?
It's as simple as this. We are above the rules. They just don't matter to us. We have already done _exactly_ as we pleased for the last 8 years. We plan to continue doing that, because it works for us.
So, no, you can't see my driving record, or much of anything else either. And oh yah, we can't talk about it because it's before the courts.
Problem is, it's not true and in this day & age of the magic of the Internet, we get to learn so much more about the moral characters, personalities and criminality of those who want to run our province and government.
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Lead-foot Van Dongen 'fesses up -- a week after his licence was lifted
Vaughn Palmer, Vancouver Sun
"Named as a finalist for Hypocrite of the Year."
For this is the same John van Dongen who this time last year launched an $800,000 campaign to raise public awareness about high-risk driving, aimed at reducing a provincewide toll of more than 5,000 injuries related to -- you guessed it -- speeding.
"Crashes due to speeding are completely preventable," he preached in launching the joint campaign with police, ICBC and community volunteers. "But the truth is we can't do it without every driver in B.C. getting on board."
"Solicitor-General John van Dongen urges B.C. motorists to slow down and stay calm. Speed and aggressive driving are among the main clauses of fatal crashes."
"...this confessed scofflaw is still in charge of the police; this chronic speeder is still minster for "public safety."
************************Candidate vetting questioned after bad driving records surface
One Liberal charged with drunk driving, another has 32 traffic infractions
CBC News. Friday, April 24, 2009
Excerpt:The way the B.C. Liberal Party screened its candidates for the May 12 election was questioned Friday after a CBC News investigation found two Liberal candidates had run-ins with the law.
The revelations came on the same day Solicitor General John van Dongen made public the four-month suspension of his driver's licence for two speeding tickets. Four days earlier, Liberal Leader Gordon Campbell had criticized the NDP for not vetting its candidates carefully.
Another Liberal candidate, Laura McDiarmid, who is running in Vancouver-West End, stood out among other Liberals in the number of traffic infractions she has acquired.
McDiarmid, a professional limousine driver, has racked up 33 driving infractions in the past 10 years.
She has a history of parking where she pleases, according to court records, including bus stops and no-stopping zones. In the past four years, she has been cited eight times for speeding, including once for excessive speeding.***************************
Van Dongen's bad driving
Paul Willcocks: Paying Attention. April 25, 2009.1) Why did John van Dongen wait a week before revealing his licence suspension to the premier and what does that say about his understanding of the seriousness of the suspension? (Though based on the many times he has condemned speeders - see Vaughn Palmer's column - van Dongen should be aware.)
4) The suspension puts van Dongen in a small group of bad drivers. Out of 3.1 million drivers in B.C., only 25,000 a year lose their licences for speeding and other offences.
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Need For Speed Undercover - featuring Flyin' John van Dongen! No Homos Allowed - with BC Liberal candidate Marc Dalton!
Bill Tieleman. April 24, 2009.Solicitor General John van Dongen - the province's cabinet minister in charge of law enforcement - the top cop - got stopped by the cops one time too many for speeding and has lost his license to drive for four months.
Van Dongen, the Abbotsford-Clayburn MLA, should have been fired from cabinet immediately but wasn't, not by this morally-challenged premier.
Campbell actually praised the pedal to the metal minister.
“I take my hat off to John for bringing this forward and we have taken the actions that are appropriate," Campbell told reporters this afternoon. “[Mr. van Dongen has] come forward and says he wants to be open about this. He's carrying on with his responsibilities as solicitor-general because obviously we've got a major initiative to go after a lot of the gangs in British Columbia."
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BC Premier Campbell Charged with DUI
KEN MacQUEEN. MacLeans Magazine. January 27, 2003.
Now comes Premier 03-02659, the identifier number Maui police gave an over-refreshed Gordon CAMPBELL after his failed date with the department's Intoxilyzer 5000. This time it was the spectacular stupidity of driving drunk after three martinis, dinner and much wine at the Hawaiian condo of Canadian friends. But, hey, it's always something. The breath test, which Campbell finally released five days after news of his arrest broke in Canada, topped out at an impressive blood-alcohol reading of 0.149. That's almost twice the legal limit, in Hawaii and B.C., of 0.08, or 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood.
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Who Is Gordon Campbell 3.0?
Chatting with the polished puzzle who seeks a third term as BC's premier.
. Published: April 20, 2009. TheTyee.ca
Excerpts:The first [term] was marked by severe fiscal austerity that included privatizing various government operations (including the controversial sale of BC Rail), a referendum on treaty rights, and the reduction of environmental protection.
His second term included the largest social housing expenditures in decades, an attempted new relationship with First Nations, and passage of a landmark carbon tax.
he said, "I understand the political analysis, but I think I'm the same person. You don't get to do the stuff we're doing now if we hadn't done the financial stuff early.""Politically, if we could have done the financial changes we did in a way that felt less imposing to people, I'd do that over again, right?" He added: "I'm not sure I know how to do that, to be candid about it."
Conversely, when I asked what accomplishment he felt best about, Campbell replied:
"I am proudest that British Columbians feel good about themselves."[BC Liberals Suck: Are those the ones that are homeless, abused, the close to 200,000 children living in poverty, the seniors who can't get into assisted living, the mentally ill and addicted who there aren't enough beds for? You know who "feels good" it's Campbell and his minions, they're doing just great. How about you & your neighbours?]
ABC: Anyone But Campbell's Liberals on May 12th 2009.
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