Monday, July 20, 2009

Is that the Sound of Shredders I Hear in Victoria?

If only it were going to be so easy. I'm sure the Campbell cabal is getting a touch nervous, but I wouldn't think this would be a slam dunk yet. I'm sure the rocket scientists of the back room have been scuttling around figuring out what they can do to head this off. This case is just one step from a being declared a mistrial with the masterful "fumbling" and delays of the government lawyers who've earned their massive salaries in how they've represented their clients. Too bad no-one is really representing the interests of the people of BC.

It's more than a bit worrisome this latest business has been referred to the RCMP for an "initial investigation" prior to a Special Investigator being assigned. I don't think it's a no-brainer to say the RCMP is in a massive conflict of interest, is in over their heads almost everywhere now and doesn't actually have any credibility left where this government is concerned, or doing the right thing. I respect and feel for those at the lower levels, they've got a helluva job dealing with those knobs up the food chain. Wonder if DeBruyckere will get assigned to this "pre-investigation." People keep forgetting about this:

Kevin DeBRUYCKERE. RCMP. One of the lead RCMP investigators in Project Everywhichway, amazingly Inspector DeBruyckere is also by coincidence the brother-in-law of B.C. Liberal Party executive director Kelly Reichert.

DeBruyckere disclosed that information to his superiors in March 2004, but defence lawyers have strongly argued that his relationship is a conflict of interest that should have had him removed from the case, but have not at any point alleged any impropriety on the part of either DeBruyckere or Reichert.


(From Bill Tieleman's A-Z.)

Judge's Ruling Put Campbell's Future in Question

B.C. Premier ordered to turn over e-mails; decision could be pivotal not only in corruption case, but in the future of B.C.'s government

Gary Mason, Globe & Mail.

As court rulings go, this one may be without precedent in Canada: an order for a sitting Premier and select members of his staff and cabinet to turn their e-mails over to a court.

It's not a stretch to say Monday's ruling by Madam Justice Elizabeth Bennett of the Supreme Court of British Columbia could determine the future not only of a potentially explosive political corruption trial under way in the province, but the government of Premier Gordon Campbell as well.

“I would say this is virtually unprecedented,” lawyer Michael Bolton said about the ruling, which grants the defence access to Mr. Campbell's e-mail correspondence from 2002 to 2004.

“I think what this means is that nobody in B.C. is above the law,” Mr. Krog told reporters. “Including Mr. Campbell himself.”

Now, the big question is: Do the e-mails even exist?

"... e-mails created prior to 2004 were ordered destroyed as recently as May – two years after they were first requested by the defence in this case and in contravention of a government policy that prohibits the disposal of electronic records when they are the subject of a legal proceeding. The same affidavit said some e-mails from 2001 to 2004 were later found and have been kept.

... if that e-mail evidence has been destroyed either through recklessness, negligence or willful failure to preserve then it could be argued that the defence can't fairly defend its clients.

And the case would likely be thrown out.

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We should all keep in mind how cozy the relationship is between the BC Liberal government and one of their favourite corporations - EDS Advanced Solutions, who they've just happened to privatize a great deal of government infrastructure too, such as the Provincial Revenue. This is who the BC government is alleged to have outsourced the government documents to be shredded. Do they still have them and where are they? I think an immediate seizure is in order before any more documents go missing. But, here's the question, is the server (s) and data in Canada, or the United States? Who does it belong to now?

Might be worth a read of these old stories and ask ourselves what else have the BC Liberals privatized right out from under our noses and where are the records for all of that?

Campbell's Plan to Privatize Your Privacy: Infrastructure Outsourcing for BC - Part 1

The word is out that in January 2009, Campbell & his Liberal puppets are set to privatize the rest of BC citizen's personal, private and confidential information by signing a multi-million dollar, multi-year contract with EDS Advanced Solutions. Hewlett Packard (HP)-Electronic Data Systems (EDS) is a global, transnational information technology corporation based in Texas.

This privatization will see the operation and maintenance of the BC government mainframe computer servers under the management of HP-EDS. Before you're tempted to give a big yawn and a "who cares" you should know that this means that any personal and private information that is held by the BC government about you and anyone else you know, all government documents, health care numbers and information, social insurance numbers, e-mails and communications with government is in the hands of a private corporation, who will do with it what they want and you will never know.

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Privatizing Your Privacy: EDS' Trail of Slime - Part 2

The Province recently signed an agreement [Ed. PRIVATIZED] with EDS Advanced Solutions to improve customer service and consolidate revenue management across government, including account management, billing, payment and remittance processing, and non-tax collections for the Province.

The Billing and Receivables Branch and the Collection and Loan Management
Branch of the Ministry of Provincial Revenue formerly provided these functions.

Beginning Dec. 6, 2004, EDS Advanced Solutions is authorized to operate under the brand "Revenue Services of British Columbia" to identify itself when performing revenue services on behalf of the Province of British Columbia.

Read more about EDS and their handling of contracts and "loss" of millions of citizens private and personal information in the UK here.

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