A couple of years ago, I was contacted by someone who worked on the Sea to Sky highway project closely, who had a story to tell… and what a story it was, or should I say,still is.
While I can’t report on the entire story yet because of legal reasons, I can tell you that there were a couple of names that came in that story that are making waves again recently because of Sean Holmans story in the Globe and Mail about key Liberal insiders getting untendered contracts.
Both Kirk and Co., and James Hoggan and Associates, worked on the Sea to Sky project with lucrative contracts worth $$$. As with other companies, the same names come up time and time again in different places, and that alone should give good reason to question how this “new” leader is any different from the old one : Sean Holman touches on that today.
For now, take a look at some well-connected dots concerning some of these Liberal insiders, passed onto me this morning by a keen source.
Judy Kirk: B.C. Liberal supporter awarded millions in Government Contracts
B.C. Government Contracts include:
Gateway Projects: $1.8 million – awarded in 2006 for public consultation process
(Hansard: Monday, May 8, 2006, Page 70 – 4552)
B.C. Hydro –Peace RiverSite C Hydro Project: Project Definition Consultation
Partnerships B.C
Sea toSky HighwayImprovement Project
HST promotion: $25,000
Translink
CanadaLine
Evergreen Line
Appears to include B.C. Rail: “We have heard how B.C. paid Liberal insiders Randy Wood, Patrick Kinsella, Nancy Spooner and Judy Kirk hundreds of thousands of dollars”
(Quote from From Citizen Journalist: the BC Rail Political Corruption Trial doors were closed and locked today. Wednesday, September 22, 2010)
Other Contracts include:
GreaterVancouverGateway Council
Port MetroVancouver
Federal Government Departments
Several municipalities
August 1, 2011
Recent news articles report that the B.C. Liberal Government secretly handed out untendered contracts to Liberal-connected companies to promote the controversial HST. Anti-HST leader Bill Vander Zalm is calling for a public inquiry.
One of the companies noted is:
“Kirk and Co. Consulting Ltd. – the communications firm headed by Judy Kirk, who served as the Liberal caucus’s executive director between 1994 and 1996 – was also given a contract worth up to $25,000 to provide the panel with media and public relations advice.” (Public Eye: July 26, 2011:Firms with Liberal links awarded secret contracts)
http://www.publiceyeonline.com/archives/006249.html
Judy Kirk has strong ties to the Liberal Government:
1994-1996: Executive Director of B.C. Liberal Caucus
Served as Chief of Staff toGordon Campbellwhen he was in Opposition
2005 – 2010 Donated $12,666 to the Liberal Party
Conflict of Interest?
The Boundary Bay Conservation Committee raised questions of conflict of interest to the process in a submission to the B.C. Environmental Assessment Office regarding the South Fraser Perimeter Road Project, dated December 17, 2006:
excerpts from page 5:
- Public “consultation” on the SFPR has been a farce. The public at large has never been asked for input into the project rationale, scope or Terms of Reference. How can the proponent’s “consultation” be conducted impartially by a well known Liberal Party media spokesperson, Judy Kirk? This is a double conflict of interest for the government?
- How can such a highly controlled process of essentially “manufacturing of consent” in select groups of people, as was conducted by Kirk and Co. Consulting, be considered credible public consultation? The public consultation process has no credibility. Is the EAO aware that there are international guidelines for proper public participation process (Attachment 1)?
- Similarly, the Public Open Houses by the BC Environmental Assessment Office were conducted not by the reviewing agencies, BC EAO and federal CEAA agency staff, but again by the government and proponent’s Kirk and Co. Consulting. How has this obvious cajoling of the public been allowed?
Connections
Nancy Spooner – Nancy Spooner is listed as part of the team of Kirk & Company Consulting Ltd. She was a senior member of the B.C. Liberal Party re-election group in 2005 and in the previous election. As recently as April, 2010 she was listed as a Principal Officer of James Hoggan and Associates a company that donated $16,868 to the B.C. Liberal Party between 2005 and 2010. In addition, she has donated a further $2,848 during this period under Nancy Spooner Consulting Inc.
She is cited above as someone who received payments from BC Rail.
James Hoggan – James Hoggan is President of James Hoggan and Associates. As mentioned above, his company donated $16,868 to the B.C. Liberal Party between 2005 and 2010. Between 2005 & 2008 his company received $353,855 in B.C. Government contracts.
His company has invested in the NaiKun Wind Energy Group Inc.
Westcoast Views with Laila Yuile 
I didn’t really understand why donations to policial campaigns were important. I guess I’m a bit thick – but you have written clerly here why donations look like a problem when government officials pass out contracts. Thanks again for your great insights
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Didn’t Falcon say, it didn’t matter if the firms had BC Liberal ties? They are quite free to bid and win government contracts. He omitted to say, they were secret and done behind everyone’s back.
I’m so glad you brought this out, to the BC peoples attention. We regular people are just so used to the underhanded, sneaking, cheating BC Liberals. All we can say is, the BC Liberals are at it again. It doesn’t matter, because nothing is ever done about their corruption and thieving anyway. How embarrassing is it? Harper giving a low life such as Campbell, the appointment of High Commissioner to England? In the “Harper government”, crime pays extremely well.
Everyone I know doesn’t trust the referendum vote, with Craig James of Elections BC either. Those ballots were asinine, a complete hopeless, screwed up mess. And, now they are hidden away, we all know what that means.
Sorry, I have just had it with, Harper and his crap. I have had it with the lies, deceit and the corruption, of the BC Liberals. We have been forced to contend with this evil, rotten party, for over ten years now. When in the hell, is enough going to be enough?
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Having been one of the Tsawwassen victims of the BC Hydro power lines debacle, I can absolutely confirm that Kirk & Company were working for the province/BC Hydro.
I remember having a conversation with a couple of Ladner restaurant owners who were amazed at the money being spent on meals, etc all on expense accounts.
My family and others like us, took a bath on the selling of our home as did ultimately did the taxpayers of BC. We sold our home at a rock bottom price and as anyone who has ever moved knows there are all kinds of hidden expenses that add up to thousands of dollars. BC Hydro has tried to make it seem that the homeowners made out like bandits in this sorry episode. In fact monetarily and emotionally we are still feeling the effects of this unnecessary use of force by a Liberal government drunk on power.
Well it’s obvious that some people made a ton of money in the Tsawwassen power line project. Friends of the Liberal government.
Thank you for continuing to cover the ever more disturbing connections between these entitled few.
A pox on them all
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