The Written Word
for November 19, 2000

When I was with the provincial government and traveled extensively to other parts of Canada people always asked me about the goofy government in B.C. Then during the Vander Zalm years I had to explain away a premier that didn’t understand about conflicts of interest. By the time Glen Clark rolled along, I simply muttered some babble under the breath and slunk away.

But I think it may be time to put the Vander Zalm and Clark matters into some perspective. Vander Zalm’s great sin was to entertain a shady billionaire, with whom he was having a business deal, at Government House. Then he phoned the president of Petrocan and tried to arm wrestle him into selling a property to him, a property that happened to be adjacent to the Premier’s theme park, Fantasy Gardens. Bad stuff but is scarcely puts Mr Vander Zalm in the pantheon of great political crooks.

Glen Clark had a neighbour who wanted a gaming license which neighbour thoughtfully built a couple of porches for the premier. There is no evidence that the premier ever made any representations on his neighbour’s behalf but he stands charges with accepting a bribe and breach of trust.

Now let’s look at Ottawa. The Prime Minister, Jean Chretien, is a 25% owner of a hotel with a man who has a criminal record. Chretien is bought out and the hotel falls onto sorry times. It applies to the Business Development Bank of Canada, a federal crown corporation, for a loan of $615,000. It is turned down as being a bad risk. Turned down, I might add, by a bank of last resort which tells you something about it’s financial soundness. Mr Chretien denies making any representations on the hotels behalf and maintains that denial until Andrew MacIntosh of the National Post digs out the evidence. Mr Chretien then does a 180 and admits making two phone calls to the Bank’s president whom he appointed to the job and who is therefore dependent for his job on good relations with Mr Chretien. Then Chretien admits summoning the beleaguered president to 24 Sussex Drive where more pressure was brought to bear. The loan was granted and, as the bank manager clearly suspected was defaulted upon and the hotel went into receivership. The manager was dumped and now is suing for wrongful dismissal.

Mr Vander Zalm was rightly forced from office. Ditto Mr Clark. On the 27^th of this month Jean Chretien will still be Prime Minister of Canada.

Is there something not quite right with this picture?