The New Democrats asked about questions yersterday about $297,000 in payments from B.C. Rail to the consulting firms of Patrick Kinsella, the Liberals' campaign co-chair in 2001 and 2005. Sean Holman sets out the details here. It's worth searching on Kinsella on publiceyeonline.com for background.
An alert reader posted an interesting Hansard exchange from May 28, 2003, on my site. The exchange came during debate on the budget for the premier's office.
J. MacPhail: A longtime Liberal Party fundraiser is Patrick Kinsella. He is the lobbyist for CN. Has the Premier or any of his ministers met with Mr. Kinsella and representatives of CN?
Hon. G. Campbell: I don't have an answer for that. As the member opposite knows, if she wants to know about specific meeting times with either myself or the minister, she can do that through freedom of information.
J. MacPhail: My gosh, I didn't think he would refer me to that, because I'm going to get into freedom of information and this government's record on that.
Paul,
ReplyDeleteWhy on Earth does a Crown Corporation need to hire Patrick Kinsella?? What possible work could he have done to put BC Rail in a better financial position? After all, isn't that part of the mandate for BC Rail - to earn returns for the shareholder?
Isn't it convenient that even though BC Rail has been sold, they still are not subject to FOI.
We need more transparency from all our government agencies.
The Premier sure didn't want to talk about Kinsella. Maybe he will be forced to testify about him...
Uhhhhh.....
ReplyDeleteDid Ms. McPhail say....
Ceeeee.....Ennnnnnnn?
Why, that's not BC Rail is it?
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(well, it most certainly wasn't in May of 2003)
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