Political Report Oct
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The Pacific political report Oct. 09 Conflicting interests? Line blurs 2013 between public, private business VOL. 01 ISSUE 10 Pat Bell’s day was not a busy one. The then-Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training’s appointment calendar – obtained through a Freedom of Information request – for Tuesday, October 2, 2012 shows that he had no appointments in the morning, and only three in the afternoon. His first meeting, from 3:30 to 4:00 pm, was with two senior executives from WorkSafe B.C.– Dave Anderson, the president, and Roberta Ellis, senior vice-president for human resources and corporate services. No items for discussion are listed in the calendar, but it is likely the trio talked about the two sawmill Premier Christy Clark and Steve Kukucha campaigning during May 2013 election. explosions that had occurred earlier in the year – in Burns Lake in January, than 300 agencies, commissions and The third and final meeting of the day, and Prince George in April – leaving councils, including the boards of from 4:30 to 5:00 pm, was with two four workers dead, with another 40 or directors at colleges, health authorities individuals. One was John Sheridan, so injured. Bell, minister responsible and Crown corporations. All the president and chief executive for WorkSafe B.C., also was the MLA appointments are supposed to be ‘on officer at Ballard Power Systems Inc. for Prince George-Mackenzie. merit,’ but as is evident by Wicks’ Sheridan was anxious to advise Bell partisan leanings, most have some and other government officials about Next up, from 4:00 to 4:15 pm, was political colouring. new developments concerning the Ann Wicks, a long-time Liberal activist company’s fuel-cell technology, and – federal and provincial – who at the (Wicks is married to Kishone ‘Tony’ especially the Ballard-powered bus time was working in Christy Clark’s Roy, who for four years in the early service operating in Whistler. government as managing director of 2000s was an assistant to then- the Board Resourcing and Develop- Education minister, Christy Clark, and Accompanying Sheridan – indeed, ment Office. in 2011 was chair of Clark’s on-line the man responsible for setting up the campaign for the BC Liberal Party appointment – was Steve Kukucha. The BRDO coordinates the leadership. Kim Haakstad, the long- A lawyer by training, Kukucha is a government’s appointments to more time Clark aide who resigned as her principal with the Wazuku Advisory deputy chief of staff in the aftermath Group, which bills itself as “one of of the multicultural outreach scandal, British Columbia’s leading, full-service INSIDE ... reportedly served as bridesmaid at the business solutions firms.” Roy-Wicks nuptials.) Political Financing (Part Two) p. 4 One of the myriad services offered by It’s difficult to surmise the topic of the group is something called Spotlight (on ex-Canucks owner) p. 8 discussion between the pair, but not ‘advocacy’ – but which most observers long afterward Wicks quit the BRDO would describe as ‘lobbying’ – whereby to move over to the Financial Wazuku helps clients to “reach their In the News (Special Prosecutor) p. 9 Institutions Commission. She now business goals and objectives, market works as FICOM’s director of statutory expansion opportunities or plans to Behind the Scenes p. 10 approvals and regulations. shape public policy.” Continued on p. 2 www.pacificpoliticalreport.ca Phoenix Strategies Inc. Blurred lines, continued from p. 1 Kukucha is well-positioned to lobby the Clark government. A long-time Where is ethical line for lobbyists & governments? federal Liberal, he was campaign Is it ethical for someone to about six months before he registered director in B.C. for the 1997 general collect provincial monies while as a lobbyist, even though B.C. election and worked as a senior simultaneously being paid by clients requires a filing within 10 days of such advisor to David Anderson, who seek favours from province? Put work getting underway. Environment minister under Prime another way, can someone serve his Minister Jean Chretien. or her private interest, and at the same A Vancouver lawyer, Terrence time serve the public interest? Robertson, was appointed as a Special In the Fall of 2011, about six months Prosecutor to look into the former after Christy Clark won election as Increasingly in recent years, the line deputy’s activities. He concluded that leader of the BC Liberals, Kukucha was separating public and private business Dobell faced a “substantial likelihood named as the party’s campaign in Victoria has become blurred. of conviction” under the Criminal director. (Later, during the 2013 Code of Canada – specifically, the provincial general election, he acted as Ken Dobell served as Deputy section dealing with “Frauds on the ‘wagon master’ for the victorious Clark Minister and Cabinet Secretary to government” – but he also determined Liberals, making sure that the former Premier Gordon Campbell that it was “not in the public interest Premier’s campaign bus and plane ran from June 2001 to June 2005. After to proceed with a prosecution.” on schedule.) quitting his government employment, the former public servant set up a Instead, Dobell agreed to plead guilty Kukucha first registered to lobby on consulting company, Dobell Advisory for failing to register as a lobbyist Ballard’s behalf on April 22, 2010. Services Inc., that reportedly charged within the required time limit. He The length of his contract was about clients $250 per hour for his expertise. went to court in March 2008 and 15 months, with a completion date of despite facing a fine of up to $25,000, August 3, 2011. Dobell may have left the government, the judge granted an absolute but he did not really leave – he discharge. It was clear that Dobell’s Throughout that period, Kukucha reportedly maintained a desk at the criminal offence was a minor breach intended to meet with numerous government’s cabinet offices in down- of the Lobbyists’ Registration Act. But government officials, including town Vancouver where he continued what of the ethical issue of working then-Premier Gordon Campbell and to work on various projects. simultaneously for the government several of his cabinet ministers – Iain and for a lobbying client? Black, Blair Lekstrom, Barry Penner, For the fiscal year 2005/06, he was John Yap and Naomi Yamamoto. paid $70,323 for his time as That question seems to have been Campbell’s deputy, while Dobell answered by the BC Liberals – and That initial filing showed that he was Advisory Services received $136,646. they see nothing wrong with it. not then associated with a ‘lobbyist Consider the following example, just firm’ – Wazuku Advisory Services was Not long after Dobell retired from the one among many. born about four months later. (The provincial public service, the City of name is derived from the first two Vancouver retained him to promote Cynthia Grauer is a long-time federal letters of its principals’ last names: the city’s arts and culture infrastruc- Liberal activist. Usually found in Mike Watson, Brad Zubyk and Steve ture, and housing policy. One of his the party’s backrooms, she lost a Kukucha.) lobbying targets was Ottawa. We nomination battle in Vancouver- know this because before he Quadra to Joyce Murray in 2007. The On June 22, 2012, less than a year after commenced his assignment, Dobell following year, the BC Liberals named the expiry of his initial filing, registered with the Office of the Grauer to the board of the BC Lottery Kukucha again registered to lobby on Commissioner of Lobbying of Corporation. behalf of Ballard. This contract – which Canada. was filed under the Wazuku label – was In April 2010, she registered as a to last for about 18 months, until He also continued to work for the lobbyist representing a Vancouver- December 31, 2013, and targeted three B.C. government and through fiscal based renewable energy company, cabinet ministers: Bell, Mary Polak and 2006/07, taxpayers sent another Instream Energy Systems Corp. Rich Coleman. $157,326 to Dobell Advisory Services. Months later, Grauer was reappointed to the Lottery board, to a term lasting It is the relationship with Bell that is of In November 2006, he finally filed until the end of 2013. immediate interest. with the Registrar of Lobbyists in Victoria. It now was clear that Dobell Earlier this year, she again registered Pat Bell first was appointed as Jobs was lobbying the same government as a lobbyist, this time on behalf of minister by Clark on March 14, 2011 – for which he had been – and was – Rogers Communications Inc. (The 16 days after she won election as leader working as a paid consultant. cable and cellphone giant also has of the BC Liberal Party – and the same retained Dobell to represent its day she was sworn-in as Premier. Observers – that is, the news media interests in Victoria.) and the opposition New Democrats From the beginning it was clear that – soon found evidence that Dobell’s Grauer is both a patronage appointee ‘jobs’ were going to be a major focus of lobbying efforts in Victoria had begun and a lobbyist -- at the same time. Continued on p. 3 www.pacificpoliticalreport.ca Phoenix - 2 - Strategies Inc. Blurred lines, continued from p. 2 the Clark government – and of the during the Summit, and then assist in Many questions come to mind BC Liberal re-election campaign. To drafting the final Accord by February concerning Wazuku’s relationship that end, in September 2011 – six 19 – Budget Day. It’s not evident as to with the Clark government – and months after she became Premier – why Wazuku’s contract ran through to specifically with Pat Bell’s Jobs Clark unveiled her ‘BC Jobs Plan.’ the end of the fiscal year (March 31) ministry.