Chickens Coming Home to Roost: BC Liberals Continue to Unravel

Update to the many scandals, skeletons and scalawags who've been written of so fondly in previous posts.

Any comments on your government picks Premier Gordon (I blew 0.149) Campbell? Or, Minister (Squeaky-Clean-Right-Now) De Jong?

What's that? Oh yeah, it's before the courts so you can't comment.

Remember this:

At one point she Twittered, "Those B.C. wines are the best."

B.C. Liberal Jane Thornthwaite - North Vancouver-Seymour MLA

Update: Just check out Thornthwaite's sheer arrogance when questioned as to the charges. Ask yourself, if she isn't embarrassed at her poor judgment, her actions and being charged with a criminal offense as a member of our Legislature, what the hell is wrong with her?

See for yourself what this BC Liberal MLA is all about when caught by Public Eye Online. Only question that remains, when can we expect her resignation because this is a poke in the eye of the people of BC?

MLA charged with drunk driving need not resign seat, premier says

From BC Premier Fined for Drunk Driving

"British Columbia's premier was fined $913 US (about $1,350 Cdn) Monday after pleading no contest to a drunk driving charge in Hawaii. The premier was also ordered to take part in a 14-hour substance abuse program, and undergo an assessment for alcoholism."

From Campbell Alcohol Level Nearly Twice the Limit

British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell's blood-alcohol content was almost twice the legal limit when he was arrested for impaired driving last Friday.

The premier told reporters Wednesday that he just received the results of the breathalyzer test, and found that they were 0.149. The legal limit is 0.08 (80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood).

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Breaking News:

Impaired Driving Charge against Liberal MLA Approved
Jeff Beamish, Vancouver Sun. April 28, 2010.

A special prosecutor has approved impaired driving charges against Liberal MLA Jane Ann Thornthwaite, the Criminal Justice Branch of the ministry of attorney-general announced today.

Independent Special Prosecutor Mark Jetté approved a charge of operating a motor vehicle while having a blood alcohol level over 80 milligrams in 100 millilitres of blood.

Her first appearance is scheduled for May 12, in North Vancouver provincial court.

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What does improperly mean, exactly? How was it improper, or why? What will come of this?

Farmland Boundary Changes Improper: ALC

CBC News. Wednesday, April 28, 2010

B.C.'s Agricultural Land Commission has concluded that 66 parcels of land in Chilliwack were taken out of the Agricultural Land Reserve improperly between 1991 and 2009, CBC News has learned.

Les was mayor of Chilliwack between 1987 and 1999.

One of the boundary adjustments that the commission has deemed "inconsistent" with existing regulations included land Les allegedly owned through a numbered company, according to the review.

"I am aware of the report," Les told CBC News in Victoria Wednesday. "But until the Special Prosecutor is finished his work, I am not commenting."

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It should read Plea, not Verdict. It's an important distinction.

Not much can be said about this case due to Associate Chief Justice Anne MacKenzie's publication ban on this case. It's sad that in BC and Canada we are being kept in the dark about a case that is in the public's interest to know about. This involves our government, our resources, our assets and the future of our province. Why the secrecy and whose interests does it serve?

Basi, Virk Corruption Trial set for May 17 After Not-Guilty Verdicts Entered

Three men entered formal not guilty pleas Wednesday in B.C. Supreme Court to corruption and money laundering charges related to the sale of Crown-owned BC Rail to CN Rail.

Former B.C. government ministerial aides Dave Basi and Bob Virk are charged with fraud and breach of trust. Basi's cousin, Aneal Basi, is accused of money laundering.

Associate Chief Justice Anne MacKenzie set a jury trial date for May 17 in B.C. Supreme Court in Vancouver. It is scheduled for six weeks. A pre-trial conference will be held May 3.

The charges stem from an RCMP raid on the B.C. legislature in 2003.

lpynn@vancouversun.com

© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun

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Gary Collins and Judith Reid among 44 witnesses scheduled to take the stand at BC Rail trial

Two former B.C. government ministers are on a list of nearly four dozen high-profile witnesses slated to testify when the oft-stalled legislature raid trial finally gets underway later this month."

Basi and Bobby Virk are charged with fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes over allegations they accepted money and other benefits in exchange for leaking information about the $1-billion sale of Crown-owned BC Rail to Canadian National Railway (TSX:CNR).

Basi worked for then-finance minister Gary Collins, while Virk worked for then-transportation minister Judith Reid.

Former employees of lobby firm Pilothouse Public Affairs Group, Brian Kieran and Erik Bornman, are also on the list of witnesses and are expected to give key testimony.

Premier Gordon Campbell's chief political strategist, Martin Brown, and his former deputy ministers, Brenda Eaton and Ken Dobell, are also on the witness list read to prospective jurors on Wednesday. So are CN Rail CEO Claude Mongeau, former CP Rail CEO Bob Ritchie and OmniTrax executives.

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In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act. - George Orwell

BC Liberals Suck Campaign to Stop the HST: MLA's who Vote for it End their Political Careers

“Aside from the deceitful way Gordon Campbell imposed the HST on British Columbians and the government's falsehoods about it since, consider [B.C. Liberal MLA Don] McRae's grasp of economics...

“[The HST] takes cash away from working families, who by spending it, would drive economic activity. In other words, one thing the HST absolutely doesn't do is ‘reflect the changing economy.’ It actually makes things worse.

“Is Mr. McRae pulling your leg - or is his understanding of economics really that sketchy?”

- Kim Pollock (letter to the Comox Valley Record), March 25, 2010

The BC Liberals intend to do the housekeeping and then bring in the Hey Sucka Tax (HST) here in Beautiful BC. We have a narrow window to have that plan scuttled. The plan is simple and strategic because there is so much momentum building. Make no mistake, this tax will cost the citizens of BC millions. Most of us have seen our budgets stretched and our buying power and standards of living are dropping as the costs of just basics keeps rising. Every one of us has seen our grocery, heat, hydro, gas and just basic living going up with no end in sight to that.April 1st saw even more increases to our basic living expenses.

Add on the HST which will apply to so many other things and we will all be feeling it. Small and medium businesses will also feel it, particularly restaurants as people will have no choice but to look for ways to cut their expenses. Leisure and luxury spending will simply have to be reduced. We are a nation that is crippling itself by our spending on credit and illusionary money. When the HST comes in, our real world spending is going to take a hit, as are the many businesses that will be impacted by this cruel tax.

Let's work together to stop the BC Liberals from bringing in the HST.

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Campbell's HST Illusion

David Schreck. March 8 2010

Finance Minister Colin Hansen was almost laughed out of the room when he told reporters that money from the HST would be earmarked for health care.

On March 6th, Vancouver Sun columnist Vaughn Palmer wrote: "By the end of this week, even Hansen was admitting that the move to link the HST to health care was mainly an exercise in public relations."

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"’Of two things you can be certain -death and taxes.’ -Benjamin Franklin
“As forward-thinking as he was, inventor Ben likely never imagined death would be taxed.

“B.C. residents are a scant 3 1/2 months away from the implementation of the harmonized sales tax -the dreaded HST -and, yes, death is included on the provincial government's hit list.”
- Greater Vancouver Home Builders Association CEO Peter Simpson (Vancouver Sun), March 20, 2010

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On July 1 the BC Liberals plan to "go live" with their plan which will combine the five per cent federal GST with the seven per cent provincial sales tax and saddle us with a 12 per cent tax " harmonized" tax on hundreds of goods and services previously only subject to the five per cent GST. We cannot afford to let that happen.

On April 6 this begins, it runs to July 5 2010. The Petition requires 300,000 signatures are needed to meet the minimum threshold, 400,000 in total to be on the safe side -- in all 85 provincial ridings.

HST Initiative Petition

An initiative to end the harmonized sales tax (HST). Elections BC.

The purpose of the initiative draft Bill is to declare that the agreement between the federal government and the British Columbia government to establish a harmonized sales tax (HST) is not in effect. The draft Bill would reinstate the 7% provincial sales tax (PST) with the same exemptions as were in effect as of June 30, 2010 and establish the provincial sales tax as the only sales tax in British Columbia for the purposes of raising provincial revenue. The draft Bill proposes that it be effective retroactively to June 30, 2010. The Bill also proposes that the provincial share of HST revenues received between June 30, 2010 and the date of Royal Assent of the Bill that exceeds what would be collected under the PST rules as of June 30, 2010 would be reimbursed to British Columbians on a per capita basis.

William Vander Zalm

Website: www.fightHST.com

HST Extinguishment Act

Public Notice - Recall and Initiative Act
Advertisement - Know the Rules

Media Obligations for Initiative Petitions and Votes
Recall and Initiative Act

You can register or confirm your registration with Elections BC by going on-line to http://elections.bc.ca or calling (250) 387-5305 or toll free 1-800-661-8683

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Here are some ways to get involved in stopping the HST:

Voting Record & the Election

Contact your MLA and ensure that they know that how they vote on bringing in the HST will determine whether they will continue to have a career in politics. Ensure that they are aware their voting record on the HST will be made public and that by voting for the HST, this will be considered a vote against their constituents and businesses in their riding.

Ensure that they are aware that in the next election all efforts will be made to ensure that voters in their ridings are aware of their betrayal in voting for the HST. Tell them that they can no longer be trusted to put voters ahead of their political party and masters. Therefore, they can no longer claim to represent the voters in their riding and the people of BC.

Any BC MLA that votes in favour of bringing in the HST has brought an end to their political career. As citizens, we can't do much to stop them from proceeding once they return to private life, but what we can do is shun them as the backstabbing ne'er-do-wells that they are. Their names should be mud forever more as traitors to the people of BC.

It's put up or shut up time for the citizens of BC. We must use the tools we have at our disposal - OUR VOTE being one of the most important. Politicians under this regime have been engulfed in a sea of corruption. Anyone associated with the BC Liberals is tainted and their stench emanates outward. We must use democracy to send a message to this current mess of politicians and to those who plan to run in the future. The message is simple - if you betray and harm the people in BC, you will be removed from politics and your good name and reputation will be destroyed.

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Find your MLA's contact information here.

Here is where you can find the voting record of MLA's.

Join the Facebook group:

Petition against HST in BC!! | Facebook

Grassroots & Community Action

• Make sure you are up to date for the voter's list with Elections BC so you can VOTE TO END THE HST!!!
• Set up your own blog, or group in your area against the HST
• Inform citizens of the potential costs of the HST
• Provide your contacts with information about how to contact their MLA to register their opinions prior to the vote to bring in the HST.
• Organize, or attend rallies against the HST
• Contact all of your elected officials - MLA's, city council's, MP's
• Bring resolutions to your city council's and ask them to pass a resolution in support of stopping the HST from being passed

Tweet a BC Liberal : Vote Against the HST

Restaurants:

Say No to a Meal Tax - No HST - Sign their Petition

Open Letter to Premier Campbell and Finance Minister Hansen

Dear Premier Campbell and Finance Minister Hansen:

Over the past few weeks, nearly 200,000 British Columbians have signed petitions in restaurants and on-line at nomealtax.ca, voicing their strong opposition to a new 7% tax on restaurant meals. Many have also shared their views.

Business, Industry and Other Leaders

• Lobby your contacts in government and MLA's and ensure they are aware of the potential costs to business operations and the risks of voting for bringing in the HST.
• Inform yourselves, your membership and networks of the voting record of MLA's on bringing in the HST.
• Ensure that your contacts in government and industry organizations and lobbyists ensure that MLA's are aware that their voting record on the HST will lead to the loss the support from your sector, that your group and individuals in business will no longer contribute donations to political parties, or individuals running for office.