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Bob Mackin

Vancouver’s October 20 civic election can’t come soon enough. 

Vancouverites will choose a successor to Gregor Robertson, who revealed Jan. 10 that he will not seek a fourth term as mayor, disappointing many who wanted to see him defeated. 

Robertson and the Mayor of Shanghai, Ying Yong (PRC)

If it’s any consolation, Robertson will not see his 10th anniversary in office. The new mayor will be sworn-in before mid-November, several weeks short of the anniversary of Robertson’s Dec. 8, 2008 swearing-in.

Robertson had been showing signs of disinterest in the job for years, as he trotted the globe to elite conferences to sell his brand on the taxpayer dime or that of various nebulous foundations and lobby groups. When he wasn’t doing that, he was in a fling with singer Wanting Qu, the daughter of a corrupt municipal official in China. That ended last spring.

He even made a secret trip to meet government officials in Beijing and Shanghai in September that his staff only acknowledged the day before his return. 

He claimed in his “bittersweet” announcement that he had consulted unnamed family members and friends over the Christmas holidays. Could one of those friends have been longtime Stratcom pollster Bob Penner?

Surely Penner’s polling data would show that the electorate is in a throw-the-bum-out mood because of Robertson’s failure in the categories of housing affordability and inequality. The empty homes tax and a trial balloon to limit foreign buying of condos came too little, too late for fatigued Vancouverites overwhelmed by the buying power of 10-year visa holders from China.

Those issues helped the NDP defeat the BC Liberals in the Lower Mainland last spring. Robertson, like the rest of us, witnessed the slow motion train wreck that was the end of Christy Clark’s premiership. He had only two choices: go down like Clark or out on his own. 

He will ride one of the bike lanes he imposed on you, into the sunset.

His talking points claimed he made the city more “livable, green, prosperous and innovative.” But the one word that applies to Robertson’s legacy is higher

Higher Homelessness

Page three of Vision’s 2008 platform stated that “we will end street homelessness by 2015.” 

That year, Vancouver had an estimated 1,576 homeless. 

In 2017, it was 2,138. 

Robertson and Gillespie, May 23, 2015

Higher Taxes

Affordability was a buzzword of the 2008 Vision platform. Frugality was not a party hallmark. 

A funny thing happened on the way to the city’s 2018 budget vote last Dec. 12. Staff recommended a 3.9% property tax hike. Instead of rubber-stamping that, Vision Coun. Raymond Louie got up and proposed a further 0.34% hike, without a chance for the public to weigh-in. The rest of the Robertson-led Vision caucus lined-up behind Louie. NPA Coun. George Affleck wondered why Vision couldn’t cut back spending.  

Higher Towers

The most-obvious legacy of Robertson’s mayoralty is on the Vancouver skyline, which earned him the nickname “Highrise Robertson.” Developers that poured money into Vision Vancouver’s pockets at glitzy cash-for-access events got council approval to build higher. Particularly Westbank’s Ian Gillespie. His Telus Garden was a Robertson campaign stop in 2014. His Vancouver House is under construction near the Granville Bridge. Federal tax officials are looking at Gillespie’s luxury projects, which were sold primarily ot offshore buyers. Robertson and Gillespie had a myserious meeting on a Saturday afternoon in May 2015 at Gillespie’s Shaw Tower headquarters, as reported by theBreaker. Neither explained what it was about.

Higher Secrecy 

Too many politicians promise transparency and don’t deliver. But Robertson convinced Vancouver voters he was different. 

“When the city uses your money, you have a right to know where it’s being spent, and what it’s being used for. When leaders fall short of that standard, public confidence is shaken,” Robertson said in his Dec. 8, 2008 swearing-in speech. “Politicians do not always live up to that responsibility, I know. But I also know that there were literally thousands of people voting last November for the very first time. My commitment to them, on behalf of every member of my team, is that I will not let you down on making City Hall more open and accountable.”

Robertson burned bridges with Vision supporters and media alike, turning Vancouver city hall into one of the most-secretive governments in Canada. His original chief of staff, Mike Magee, was caught purging email and Robertson resorted to GMail, years after B.C.’s information and privacy commissioner said that was not allowed. 

Commissioner Elizabeth Denham audited city hall, and found Vision caused “inappropriate delays, failure to meet legislated timelines, missing documentation, incomplete responses, and adversarial communication with applicants.”

“Of particular concern to me is evidence that the City is treating media applicants differently than other applicants. The principle in FOI requests is that all applicants be treated equally, and should not be distinguished by their employment status. It is in the public interest to protect the ability of media applicants to identify issues, obtain records and disseminate information in a timely manner.”

Higher… literally

By summer 2015, there were 60 marijuana stores operating illegally in the city. They outnumbered Tim Hortons coffee shops. Robertson, the police board chair, used his clout to foster the budding industry. His party also began to award some of those stores with business licences, rather than protect citizens from the risk of organized criminals selling specious products under the guise of “medicine” or wait until the federal government gets its house in order. 

Bob Mackin Vancouver’s October 20 civic election can’t

Bob Mackin

The executive director in charge of troubled Nanaimo Regional General Hospital is gone and Vancouver Island Health Authority won’t tell theBreaker why. 

A source says Suzanne Fox was escorted from NRGH on Jan. 8 — exactly two months after theBreaker was first to report on a damning report about the hospital’s toxic culture by a U.S. consultant. 

Ex-Island Health executive Suzanne Fox (VIHA)

VIHA spokeswoman Meribeth Burton told theBreaker by email that: “The executive director for Geography 2 has left Island Health. The recruitment process will begin shortly to fill the position on a permanent basis. We cannot comment further on personnel matters.”

Geography 2 is what VIHA calls the division that includes Oceanside/Nanaimo, Port Alberni/West Coast, NRGH clinical operations and Island-wide renal and trauma services. Fox’s bio says she is a critical care registered nurse who completed a masters in science of nursing at the University of British Columbia. She was in VIHA management since 2008. Fox, who was paid $160,096 last fiscal year, was also executive director of the $174 million iHealth project, which was supposed to have been completed last year, but has been delayed to 2020. Doctors have complained it is error-prone.  

Last Nov. 8, theBreaker was first to report that Denver-based Vector Group’s survey of staff and executives found NRGH rife with bullying, coercion, harassment, intimidation, lack of trust, nepotism and favouritism. The story on the Nanaimo hospital crisis was the third-most read on theBreaker in 2017. 

The survey said the hospital’s toxic culture was past the tipping point. Vector’s report said hospital staff it contacted said they refuse to recommend NRGH to relatives who are finishing their medical training. 

“Numerous people in several parts of the hospital volunteered that they’ve instructed their friends/families to take them elsewhere (the mainland) for care if they get sick,” the report said. 

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Bob Mackin The executive director in charge of

Bob Mackin

Less than a week before Christmas, TransLink was fined more than $607,000 because a worker was seriously injured in an electrical explosion at a SkyTrain station last spring, theBreaker has learned.

theBreaker has also learned that SkyTrain’s director of health, safety, training and environment was terminated on Jan. 8. 

WorkSafeBC found B.C. Rapid Transit Company (BCRTC), the division that operates SkyTrain, broke two Occupational Health and Safety regulations, regarding de-energization and lockout, and the section of the Workers Compensation Act that requires employers to train, instruct and supervise workers to ensure their safety. 

Nanaimo SkyTrain Station (Google)

During passenger operating hours around 11:30 a.m. on May 26, 2017, an electrician was pulling a circuit into the main panel at Nanaimo Station when a mishap occurred and an arc flash was created. A source told theBreaker it was extinguished by BC Hydro fuses blowing. The worker suffered burns, but has fully recovered. 

WorkSafeBC’s Dec. 19, 2017 administrative penalty order for $607,497.56 said BCRTC failed to take sufficient precautions for the prevention of work-related injuries; has not complied with sections of the Act and Regulation; has not maintained a safe workplace or safe working conditions; and did not exercise due diligence to prevent the incident.

The fine was, unofficially, the fourth-biggest levied by WorkSafeBC in 2017. 

theBreaker sought comment from SkyTrain general manager Vivienne King. In an emailed statement, TransLink told theBreaker that it has filed a request for a review of the fine. 

The SkyTrain division, according to the prepared statement, “immediately reviewed and adjusted relevant practices and procedures, and ensured staff were made aware of the changes.”

The statement said power technicians were briefed about the incident and the changes to policies and procedures. They were also provided a reminder of hazards control hierarchy, step back and hazard awareness.

‘[We] are continuing to assess safety procedures department-wide, as well as enhancing our written and documentation procedures,” the statement said. “BCRTC is committed to continuing to work with WorkSafeBC to make sure a high standard of safety is achieved for all staff.”

It was not the first incident involving an electrician working on a system critical panel during passenger operating hours. 

During midday July 21, 2014, the Expo and Millennium lines suffered a massive outage for five hours after an unsupervised electrician used a non-insulated screwdriver on a panel. 

“Although standard operating procedures did not restrict this from occurring during operating hours, they also did not state that it could occur during operating hours,” said a report on the two July 2014 service outages.

Natalia Skapski, the director of health, safety, training and environment, was replaced Jan. 8 on an interim basis by Eva Kaczmarczyk, who was manager of safety, environment and emergency management.

Neither King nor TransLink CEO Kevin Desmond responded to theBreaker’s email. The media relations department would not answer questions about the reason for the shakeup or the severance amount for Skapski. 

“As this is an internal personnel matter, we are unable to provide any comment at this time,” said an emailed statement from TransLink.

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Bob Mackin Less than a week before Christmas,

Bob Mackin

B.C. Lottery Corporation’s director of anti-money laundering and investigations has quit amid a money laundering scandal involving casinos catering to high rollers from China, theBreaker has learned.

Ross Alderson’s LinkedIn profile shows he left BCLC in December. “Looking for new opportunities. Looking for a new challenge in 2018,” he wrote.

Ex-BCLC director Alderson (LinkedIn)

Alderson was the main law enforcement liaison officer between BCLC and the Joint Illegal Gaming Investigation Team. He did not respond to theBreaker’s request for comment.

theBreaker asked BCLC spokeswoman Laura Piva-Babcock about Alderson’s departure. A reply came from a person at BCLC who signed the media relations email as Lara, with no last name, confirming that Alderson had resigned. She declined to comment on the reason, but said John Karlovcec had taken over on an interim basis. 

Alderson oversaw BCLC’s anti-money laundering program from May 2015 to December 2017. Between 2012 and 2015, he managed investigations and security for BCLC’s PlayNow sports betting and poker website. 

Alderson’s profile says he was an officer in the Victoria Police Force in Melbourne, Australia from 2001 to 2009.

In its July 2016 report about Richmond’s River Rock Casino Resort, suppressed by the BC Liberals but released last fall by the NDP, MNP found there were inherent conflicts between regulator Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch, revenue generator BCLC and the private sector companies that operate the casinos, like River Rock owner Great Canadian Gaming. 

A copy of the BCLC’s anti-money laundering chronology says that its information-sharing agreement with the RCMP was suspended at the request of the GPEB in 2016 “without notice or consultation with BCLC.” 

“BCLC objected and consulted with RCMP who reinstated. However the (censored by BCLC) between Nov 2016 and Sep 2017 effectively crippling BCLC’s ability to proactively ban organized crime figures.”

Meanwhile, there are still no charges after a June 13, 2017 announcement by the JIGIT/Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit that it arrested nine people. The anti-gang police said they busted an organized crime ring with links to China that was laundering large amounts of money through B.C. casinos. Sgt. Brenda Winpenny told theBreaker on Jan. 8 “when charges are approved, we will put out a release to the media to advise.” She said Crown counsel has not yet received the disclosure package.

Related to the investigation, B.C.’s Civil Forfeiture Office applied last year to seize a $5 million farmland mansion on Sidaway Road in Richmond that operated as an illegal casino. 

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Bob Mackin B.C. Lottery Corporation’s director of anti-money

theBreaker.news Podcast host Bob Mackin takes a deep dive into his crystal ball to deliver predictions for 2018, and more, on the first edition of the new year. 

 

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theBreaker.news Podcast: Predictions for 2018
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theBreaker.news Podcast host Bob Mackin takes a

Bob Mackin

A Happy New Year, indeed, at the Tieleman-Ross household.

That their party, the NDP, returned to power in 2016 in British Columbia was only one cause for popping corks. 

NDP insiders Shirley Ross (left) and Bill Tieleman. (Facebook)

Two of part-time pundit, most-of-the-time lobbyist Bill Tieleman’s clients — International Union of Operating Engineers Local 115 and the Construction and Specialized Workers Union Local 1611 — inked a project labour agreement with the Aecon/Flatiron/Dragados/EBC consortium chosen to build the generating station and spillways at BC Hydro’s Site C dam. Tieleman applauded Premier John Horgan’s Dec. 11 decision to continue building the BC Liberal megaproject.

Tieleman boasts 15 lobbying clients, according to the Office of the Registrar of Lobbyists. Tieleman also Facebooked a winning $107 plus free play ticket on Lotto Max. 

Meanwhile, wife Shirley Ross was named by Health Minister Adrian Dix to the board of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of B.C. through 2019. It doesn’t say it on the College’s website, but theBreaker has confirmed that Ross will be paid at least $1,064-per-day for attending board meetings, plus expenses. The board is scheduled to meet 10 times in 2018. It is comprised of 10 members elected by doctors and five appointed by the minister. Former BC Liberal cabinet minister Barry Penner sits on the board until September 2019, as per a 2016 order by then-Health Minister Terry Lake. 

A prepared statement attributed to Dix, and sent to theBreaker by ministry spokeswoman Kristy Anderson, said: “Shirley Ross is an excellent choice for this position. Ms. Ross brings experience in communications, education, and advocacy for the B.C. Nurses Union to her appointment. She has acted as community developer and community health nurse for the Vancouver Health Board, Global Health Project Director for Oxfam Canada, and general duty nurse in various acute care hospitals across B.C., Alberta, and Manitoba. I am confident that her education and experience will be an asset to the College of Physicians and Surgeons Board.”

Elections BC shows Ross donated $7,390 to the NDP since 2005, while Tieleman gave $16,437.

Will the last Visionista left, please turn out the lights? 

Nimmi Takkar

Vancouver’s next civic election is Oct. 20 and the party that has dominated city hall since 2008 is looking for a new executive director.

In the first NDP cabinet order of 2018, Vision Vancouver’s interim executive director, Namrata “Nimmi” Takkar, was named the $94,500-a-year senior ministerial assistant to Solicitor General Mike Farnworth. Takkar had been doing double duty as manager of client development, research and engagement with Stratcom, the Vision and NDP polling firm. Vision’s office is on the same floor in the Chip Wilson-owned building. 

Party co-chair Maria Dobrinskya told theBreaker: “Vision Vancouver is in the process of hiring new staff in preparation for 2018 election.” 

Takkar became interim executive director of Vision Vancouver when Stepan Vdovine quit to work in the NDP transition; he was the $94,500-a-year senior ministerial assistant for Tourism Minister Lisa Beare until October. His wife, former aide to Gregor Robertson Mira Oreck, is the $120,000-a-year director of stakeholder relations in the Vancouver cabinet office. Vdovine reactivated his Square One Strategic Counsel (Sq1 Counsel) consultancy in November, registering the Sq1Counsel.ca website, which redirects to his LinkedIn profile. 

Niki Sharma, the former Park Board chair who failed to win a council seat in 2014, is the ministerial assistant for the Minister of State for Childcare, hired at $84,000-a-year. Katie Robb quit as Robertson’s press secretary to join Government Communications and Public Engagement as the communications director for transportation and infrastructure minister Claire Trevena. 

They all followed their pied piper, Geoff Meggs. The veteran Vision Vancouver city councillor quit to become Horgan’s $195,000-a-year chief of staff last summer.

Robertson leads a caucus of six Vision members on the 11-seat city council. Vision’s candidate in the October 2017 by-election to replace Meggs finished in fifth. 

Bob Mackin A Happy New Year, indeed,

Bob Mackin

When he was the minister responsible for gambling, BC Liberal leadership hopeful Mike de Jong ordered the B.C. Lottery Corporation to provide him with quarterly reports about the Crown corporation’s anti-money laundering efforts. 

Ex-gambling minister de Jong wants to lead the BC Liberals. (Facebook)

Did that ever happen?

Were they deleted or just not written down? 

On Oct. 11, 2017, theBreaker asked, under the freedom of information law, the ministries of Finance, Attorney General and Solicitor General for copies of the quarterly reports on implementation of the government’s anti-money laundering strategy since Oct. 1, 2016. 

De Jong’s Jan. 29, 2016 mandate letter to the BCLC board explicitly required the Crown corporation to deliver quarterly reports on anti-money laundering and mitigation of related illegal activities. 

None of the three ministries could apparently find the reports, or related briefing notes, so they referred theBreaker’s request to BCLC.  

Finally, on Dec. 21, 2017, BCLC released 65 pages of Powerpoint presentations; only 14 pages dealt specifically with anti-money laundering. They were censored by BCLC to protect advice, recommendations, intergovernmental relations and personal information, and for fear of harm to law enforcement and BCLC finances. BCLC claimed it has another 181 pages that it is withholding in full, for fear of harm to law enforcement. 

Four of the pages were contained in a general July 31, 2017 briefing presentation about all aspects of BCLC’s operation, which saw net income balloon more than 1,000% in two decades, from $113 million in 1996 to $1.33 billion in 2017. 

Only 10 pages came close to being a quarterly report on implementation of the anti-money laundering strategy, but they were dated more than three months after the NDP took over from the BC Liberals. The heavily censored, Oct. 23, 2017 update included headings like “Four challenges with current model” and “Risk mitigation and calls to action.” 

There are platitudes such as: “It is critical that we evolve, respond and continually improve” and  “The criminal element will find ways around the system if (BCLC-censored, due to advice and recommendations)…”

The final page does mention four items under the heading “BCLC actions and status.”

  • The Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch requested all documents and information related to compliance at River Rock Casino Resort; BCLC delivered it Oct. 13.
  • A ministerial request was made to investigate a BCLC-censored person or entity. 

    From BCLC’s October 2017 intrenal presentation on anti-money laundering. (BCLC)

    According to an Oct. 6 response, “BCLC confers with GPEB on who should conduct further investigation. GPEB suggest BCLC should conduct. BCLC will conduct interviews.”

  • A meeting was scheduled for Nov. 1, after the ministerial letter from Attorney General David Eby requesting cooperation with Peter German’s review of Lower Mainland casinos. 
  • Finally, Ernst and Young was “currently conducting” one of BCLC’s annual anti-money laundering audits. “In addition, they are reviewing River Rock’s cheque issuance compliance.”

While de Jong was minister, he suppressed a July 2016 report by consultant MNP to GPEB that said high rollers from China used underground banks to bring large volumes of potentially dirty money to play at Great Canadian Gaming’s Richmond flagship, River Rock Casino Resort. The NDP government released the report last September. It mentioned a flood of $13.5 million in $20 bills in July 2015 at River Rock. MNP also said there were inherent conflicts between regulator GPEB, revenue generator BCLC and the private sector companies, like Great Canadian, that operate the casinos. 

In spring 2016, de Jong launched the Joint Illegal Gaming Investigation Team, a unit of the Coordinated Forces Special Enforcement Unit of B.C., funded partly by BCLC. Seven years earlier, however, then-gambling minister Rich Coleman shut down the Illegal Gaming Enforcement Team. On June 13, 2017, JIGIT announced the arrests of nine people in connection with a year-long investigation into a criminal organization linked to China involved in casino money laundering. Charges have not been announced. 

BCLC claims it has competition from 2,000 grey market websites that reach B.C., 53 casinos in neighbouring Washington and Las Vegas, a 2.5 hour flight from Vancouver. 

“Facilty investments in B.C. have slowed,” the July 31 report said. “Service provider costs have increased over time, particularly for compliance and labour.”

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BCLC 17-071 BCLC Anti-Money Laundering Reports (or lack thereof) by BobMackin on Scribd

Bob Mackin When he was the minister responsible

The moment that 2016 became 2017, the button was pushed to launch theBreaker, your fresh source for news, opinion and analysis of British Columbia issues, institutions and influencers. 

Now, one year and 279 stories later, it is time to celebrate with the latest podcast and thank you for reading. 

In the first anniversary edition of theBreaker.news Podcast, host Bob Mackin counts down theBreaker’s 10 most-popular stories of 2017. Many were related to the epic 2017 B.C. provincial election and its aftermath. 

theBreaker broke these stories: 

  • Laura Miller’s June 13 resignation from the BC Liberal Party. 
  • The secret, 15-minute BC Hydro board meeting on the eve of the election campaign to rubber stamp an increase for the Peace River Hydro Partners’ main civil works contract. 
  • The discovery in the Paradise Papers of B.C. Investment Management Corporation’s investment in Bermuda-listed China Homes Ltd. 
  • The dead KPMG executive who was “donating” to the BC Liberals for years after his cancer death. 
  • The 20-acre East Richmond farm assessed for less than $85,000 that sold for $9.2 million to a Chinese investor. 
  • The BC Liberal election post-mortem that heaped blame on Christy Clark.
  • Patronage appointee Gordon Wilson’s $600-a-day LNG cheerleading gig. 
  • A consultant’s damning report on Nanaimo Regional General Hospital mismanagement. 
  • The mystery around who really owns Clark’s Dunbar dwelling. 
  • And the inside story of the pivotal Penticton caucus retreat, where Darryl Plecas stood up to Clark, who subsequently quit politics. 

Keep following theBreaker in 2018. Join theBreaker and support enterprise journalism for as low as $2 a month, click here. 

News tips are always appreciated. Click here.

Happy New Year and enjoy the first anniversary podcast! 

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theBreaker.news Podcast 1st Anniversary Edition: Happy New Year!
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The moment that 2016 became 2017, the

Fill up the egg nog mug, don your Christmas sweater and cozy up to your device. Join host Bob Mackin for a special edition of theBreaker.news Podcast for Christmas 2017.

Support theBreaker.news for as low as $2 a month on Patreon. Find out how. Click here.

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theBreaker.news Podcast: Merry Christmas
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Fill up the egg nog mug, don