B.C.’s first public inquiry was in 1872 into $276.68 missing from a Nanaimo bank. The newest will be more complicated: How was $7.4 billion in dirty money laundered here?
B.C.’s first public inquiry investigated $276.68 that went missing from a Nanaimo bank in 1872, and wrapped up after three days with the three commissioners ordering the bank manager to repay the lost money.
The inquiry’s outcome will depend on the government resources it receives and the list of people who will testify, but he cautioned that it will inevitably leave some feeling disappointed. “The subjects of the inquiries are many and varied and the study of them throws interesting light on the development of the province,” assistant legislative librarian Marjorie C. Holmes wrote in the first checklist, spanning 1872 to 1942.
LISTEN: A bombshell report by former chief justice Beverley McLachlin into the legislature spending scandal lands. What allegations panned out and what fizzled into nothing? We hear audio from Speaker Darryl Plecas and suspended sergeant-at-arms Gary Lenz. Also, Premier John Horgan launches a public inquiry into money laundering — a much-needed move for justice or transparent politics against the Liberals ? Rob and Mike dig into and analyze the stories.
Port Coquitlam mayor Brad West, one of the most persistent voices calling for this inquiry, said he speaks for the many “victims” who cannot afford to buy homes. Before calling this inquiry, the government commissioned reports from an expert panel led by a Simon Fraser University public policy professor, Maureen Maloney, and from a former deputy RCMP commissioner, Peter German.
“We disagree with the conventional wisdom which suggests COIs are no longer relevant or a useful part of the policy process. The facile charges that COIs are too costly, or that governments stage them only to ignore their recommendations, or that their findings are typically predetermined, do not stand up in light of the evidence,” says their paper, Commissions of inquiry and policy change: Comparative analysis and future research frontiers.
The Davies inquiry was partly responsible for the creation of the Independent Investigations Office, an oversight body to probe police in cases of serious harm or death. However, another key recommendation languished for seven years before government announced funding for a sobering centre — and Paul’s family has complained it is part of a detox centre and not a stand-alone facility, as Davies had suggested.
Former B.C. Premier Dave Barrett, who oversaw the inquiry into the quality of condominium construction, made 82 recommendations, including changes to building codes and requirements of design professionals. He also called for the establishment of a compensation fund for reconstruction and a provincial Homeowner Protection Office.
Two missing women inquiriesOne of the most emotional inquiries in B.C. history, overseen by former judge and former attorney general Wally Oppal, looked at the many women who had disappeared from the Downtown Eastside and the failings of the police investigation into serial killer Robert Pickton. The province said earlier this year it had made “significant progress” on Oppal’s recommendations and would continue to take action to improve safety.
“A lot of good things can come of them, but before governments establish inquiries, they should first of all ask themselves: What questions need to be answered? … And what are the powers that we’re going to give to an inquiry commissioner?” Oppal said.Julian has supported women testifying at the federal inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. She believes this missing women inquiry — longer and better-resourced than the B.C. one — will bring more positive change.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Alberta questioning B.C.'s money-laundering reportThe report estimates that Alberta had the greatest amount of dirty money washing through its economy – $10-billion
Read more »
B.C. to hold public inquiry into money laundering after reports reveal it distorts province’s economyThe government released two reports last week estimating $7.4 billion in illegal cash was laundered in the province in 2018
Read more »
B.C. to hold a public inquiry into money launderingPremier John Horgan says the process is inevitable after two recent reports uncovered problems ‘far worse’ than imagined
Read more »
The power of public inquiry into money laundering: How much will B.C. have?The province’s Public Inquiry Act gives commissions the power to compel witnesses to testify. But one political observer said police, federal employees or the federal government may not be willing …
Read more »
Ottawa pledges to participate in B.C. money-laundering public inquiry“But certainly we are absolutely committed to participating and co-operating fully with the work that will be done in B.C.,” says Bill Blair, the federal minister responsible for organized crime re…
Read more »
B.C. must set clear terms, timeline if it holds money-laundering inquiry: expertThe B.C. government needs to set clear goals and a firm timeline if it launches a public inquiry into money laundering, says a former provincial attorney general who led an exhaustive probe of miss…
Read more »
B.C. must set clear terms, timeline if it holds money-laundering inquiry: expertThe British Columbia government needs to set clear goals and a firm timeline if it launches a public inquiry into money laundering, says a former provincial attorney general who led an exhaustive probe of missing and murdered women.
Read more »
B.C. government to hold public inquiry into money launderingThe government released two reports last week estimating $7.4-billion in illegal cash was laundered in the province in 2018
Read more »