Whew. Nothing like a day long drive back from Prince George to Vancouver, and waking up this morning to hear SNC Lavalin’s CEO, Pierre Duhaime has resigned- from Reuters:
” SNC-Lavalin Group Inc said its Chief Executive Pierre Duhaime resigned after the company said it had identified material weaknesses in its internal control over financial reporting.
In February, the Canadian engineering and construction company had said it expected to record payments of about C$35 million “relating to certain payments” in the fourth quarter that were linked to construction projects that were unrelated to the expenses.
At that time, it had revealed a probe into the mysterious payments and warned that the impact of Libya’s civil war would push its 2011 profit well below earlier forecasts.”
Big news and I can’t help but wonder what comes next, and how long Christy Clark’s strategic advisor Gwyn Morgan remains attached to this corporation that continues to face some highly contentious allegations, a class action lawsuit and endured RCMP raids on some of its offices. All of which makes the continual interest by those in high level federal offices in the following post, all that more speculative https://lailayuile.com/2012/03/04/moral-hazard-is-when-they-take-your-money-and-then-are-not-responsible-for-what-they-do-with-it-gordon-gekko/
I’ll leave you with that this morning,since for me, I am back to the daily grind. It’s great to be back and you can look forward to a couple of posts on my visit back home, one political that will leave a bad taste in your mouth,and one beautiful enough to restore some hope.
Westcoast Views with Laila Yuile 
Nice to see you home safe and sound Laila, and looking forward to the beautiful post!
I think we all still have a bad taste in mouth from the last batch of LIEberal mess-making, but it’s nice to see that eventually they will face the wrath of the people, and know that they cannot and will not get away with their crimes.
Luctor et Emergo!
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The end is near for Crusty Clark !
http://www.theprovince.com/news/bc/6361684/story.html
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Laila, you are the only media person who connected the dots for the public on Gwyn Morgan, being not just the chair of SNC Lavalin’s board, but also Christy Clark’s official “strategic advisor”. As I recall, his appointment was one of her first actions upon becoming premier.
This is the kind of analytical journalistic intelligence and observation that seems to have all but disappeared in the corporate media world. Your short observation is a fine example of what’s needed to help the public become informed without having to do all their own research on every subject. Thanks for connecting those dots.
On CBC Radio news today they ran a lengthy piece with press scrum clips of Morgan attempting to distance himself and SNC Lavalin from the CEO and the missing (now) $50 million. The CBC made not one reference to Gwyn Morgan’s other job. Maybe they don’t know? Nah, not with Stephen Smart married to Christy Clark’s deputy communications director. So, I’m left with the conclusion that the CBC decided to “omit” that detail.
This is a man who is providing Christy Clark and BC with “strategic direction”??? A guy who heads up the board of an organization that is being revealed as fundamentally corrupt and tainted, swirling in a tailspin of damage control.
BTW, yes I consider professional bloggers like you to be ‘media’, and that’s meant as a compliment; this is not to lump you in with the current generation of MSM news/views flacks.
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If Gwyn Morgan is providing Christy with ‘strategic direction’, he sure is doing a lousy job. When I saw and heard what John Van Dongen had to say in Question Period today, I almost fell off my chair! You would think that with Gwyn and all those other Harper cast-offs leading her around, she would be able to keep her party more or less intact, but WOW………what a bombshell!
As to SNC Lavalin, why on earth are they being allowed to simply do an internal investigation and report their findings to the RCMP? Another fox guarding the chicken coop, as directed by Harper, no doubt. I hope that SNC Lavalin goes down in flames and takes the Harper government with them.
“Absolute power corrupts absolutely” — (don’t remember who said that, but it’s true).
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CanadianBud, glad to be back but sure miss the sunny cold!! Sheesh, this rain is horrible…but the liberals have been so accomodating to wait until I returned to self-destruct..lol…
John L. – thank you for the kind words. There have definately been others who have commented on Morgans relationship with Christy- which is clearly a conflict- however the whole story of SNC and their long and very close relationship with the BC government is worthy of ongoing examination. There is a deeper relationship with this company and the Harpercons, as well,something not many people are aware of, that I will be getting into a little more indepth shortly.
gini, I would ask the RCMP that very question. The National Post has a good column out on this aspect http://business.financialpost.com/2012/03/26/questions-linger-at-snc-lavalin-after-ceo-resigns/ .
As for Van Dongan, I don’t know what more I could add to the commentary out there already. It’s a bit of a drama-rama….lol.. but good for him for leaving with those words. The crappy way Christy’s people are handling this, and the ongoing other situations, speaks to desperation and complete disdain for the people of BC. She is completely out of her element,completely unqualified to run this province and everyone knows it.
The only respectable course of action for her at this point, is to apologize to the people of BC,and step down immediately before we become a complete political laughing stock to the rest of the world.
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The only respectable course of action for her at this point, is to apologize to the people of BC,and step down immediately before we become a complete political laughing stock to the rest of the world.
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That is after the world has stopped laughing at and about Canada – King Harpers weird ways, beliefs and actions!
Thanks.
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Globe and Mail newspaper this morning, Front Page, has this
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/snc-lavalin-ceo-resigns-following-review/article2381181/ which is billed as Yesterday’s news on Google……
“An unfolding corporate scandal struck one of Canada’s most successful global enterprises Monday, claiming the chief executive of SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. and prompting the board of directors to call in police to find out what happened to $56-million in missing company funds.
Pierre Duhaime, who ascended to the top rung of the $7-billion Montreal-based construction and engineering giant in 2009, left abruptly after an independent board committee determined that he overruled his own chief financial officer and approved payments to an agent whose identity and function remains a mystery. …….”
Took me awhile to find the correct article online, even though the BC Edition’s hard copy is front and centre for SNC Lavalin
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My email to the BC Conservatives:
I had considered that the BC Conservatives may be a viable alternative in the next provincial election. However, now that you’ve begun acquiring “BC Liberals” I will cast my vote for NDP or Green. I have no intention of voting for a party comprised of LIEberals turned conservatives. With the first liberal crossing the floor to join you… you’ve lost credibility for this voter. Thanks anyway.
Sandra Harris
Gibsons, BC
V0N 1V8
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RCMP S division confirms active investigation into SNC Lavalin. No details on what happened with the previous investigation launched last year into the allegations of corruption in the bridge deal in Bangledesh. My question is, will we see E division joining the investigation out west? http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/27/snclavalin-idUSL2E8QR6IY20120327
Post and replies have been delayed, just transitioning my son back to school and regular routine. It’s often a bumpy few days after a long holiday away from his regular routine.
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It just never ends does it, lol. Man, when these corrupt mother-frockers and cork-soakers (love Red Fox) decide to lie and steal, they don’t hold back anything do they? The LIEberal government is like a big Ponzi-scheme.
I just wish they’d actually apply that effort to doing the right things, the very things we elected them to do, instead of running a cheesy three-ringed circus with the public as the payees for the privilege of being humiliated, abused, and left destitute while being told it’s for the Families and Beautifully bastardized BC.
Like, really, do they think to avoid prosecution as we find out the truth? There should be no statue of limitations on government corruption exposure to hide behind as that is the worst form of corruption which affect millions of people.
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http://tfoxlaw.wordpress.com/2012/03/30/is-a-major-bribery-prosecution-coming-in-canada-under-the-cfpoa/
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Great link Curt- thanks for this! Yes, someone told me there are approximately 14 anti corruption people that are dedicated to this kind of thing- for all of Canada. Don’t know if that is true but our laws for this kind of crime are pretty toothless and corporations and businesses know it. The corruption in the construction industry at certain levels in BC is thriving and I think the feds are just beginning to clue in that we are nearing what is found in Quebec. A recent report into the prevalence of corruption in the industry in BC was met with a lot of unwilling participants, in fact so few people wanted to talk about it, the report was really inconclusive. The way I see it, when that many people dont want to talk about it, it’s a hell of a lot worse and there is a good reason why. Anecdotal evidence suggests the presence of several cartels operating in the lowermainland that have divided areas up for bidding purposes. You don’t overstep your bidding boundaries unless you want a world of trouble.
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You have hit the nail squarely on the head Laila.
Even a small (in comparison) part of the construction industry – septic system designers/installer, are taking the public to the cleaners. What would have been a $7,000 prior to 2005, in a lot of cses now costs in excess of $25,000. No difference in the technology or materials used – just how the people concerned are screwing the public – all thanks to our Gordon Pinocchio Campbell.
I could write pages on what I have seen and found, but won’t. There are a few good and genuine people out there, but the majority aren’t.
Yes, from the large companies like Lavalin right down to some small two or three man operations.
The average working man in BC just doesn’t have a chance – it is no small wonder that the underground economy is doing a booming trade and a lot of people don’t involve the government in anything unless they are absolutely forced to.
Thanks
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