Thursday, February 28, 2019

Puzzling: Why would Fa"S"ken Law Firm use a Toys'R'Us product to convey ..... 'solving complex business problems' .. is easy?

Four pair of hands (possibly eight people)(count visible fingers for more accuracy for billing purposes)(two fingers from a fifth person), manicured, working on a twenty-four piece puzzle designed for children.... prop purchased from a recent bankruptcy case.

Why are Fasken's charging so much for their services?

Why do their clients pay so much?

One Answer? advertising costs money!


Vancouver Sun, NP5, 2019-02-28


The amount of money that Fasken, as but one example of a law firm in British Columbia,  has billed its clients (BC Government included) so that their corporation could donate to a political party of their choice as a tax write-off, could have been used  by successive provincial governments to fund Legal Aid in the first place.



Ian Mulgrew, Vancouver Sun

In a shakedown submission to Attorney-General David Eby on Feb. 15, the Association of Legal Aid Lawyers (A.L.L.) said the strike was necessary because the rule of law was threatened by the chronic underfunding of services for the needy.

They have seen a raise only once since 1991 — a 10 per cent boost in 2006, lifting the $80-an-hour tariff to an average of $88 an hour.
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Saturday, February 23, 2019

Craig James: Meet my friend Terry from Scotland

According to the Second installment of Speaker Plecas report, Craig James' fellow travelers are Tommy Lynch and Martin Fenlon.

Based on that report, names and their job descriptions, there is a Tommy Lynch working for the 'Scottish Parliament' having managed to meet twice in four months to talk about the same topic, once 'here', once near 'here' (Washington state for a sightseeing tour of the effects of a tsunami on the whale population, followed up with emergency preparations required to evacuate a baseball game in full swing) and once, twice or thrice, out there in jolly old England.  How many other times around the world have these three met up for more discussion?  And what about the MI5 meet and greeting of James, Lenz and Plecas?  Were the MI5 'security officials' executives bewildered by the visit' or is it an acceptable practice?
  Plecas, Lenz and James went to London in December 2017 to meet with MI5 security officials - Times Colonist

If its proven that these two are guilty, not just in public opinion, then what of all those 'others' that are out there, globe trotting, meeting up with the same circle of friends? 

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Speaker Plecas' Second Report:

C. SAME TOPICS, SAME PEOPLE

Tommy Lynch and Martin Fenlon. Mr. Lynch is the “Business Continuity Manager” at the Scottish Parliament. Mr. Fenlon was described as “Head of Business Continuity” at the Emergency Planning College, and an “Advisor” to the UK Government.

9. In our December 2017 trip to Scotland, we had a number of meetings on the topic of business continuity and disaster preparedness. We met with various people, Mr. Lynch among them. Mr. James characterizes this as, “Meetings with the Scottish Parliament regarding business continuity and crisis planning. The individuals we met with are absolute experts in their areas and are recognized as such around the world. They (and we) are part of a group called the Legislative Assemblies Business Continuity Network…”
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Google Search Criteria: Tommy Lynch, Business Continuity Manager, Scottish Parliament
 
https://holaconnect.com/profile/tommy-lynch-c2e7be35





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Two honourable mentions of Speaker Darryl Plecas' travels in 2017
Whereas the Clerk and the Sergeant-at-Arms has had six years of traveling around the ....
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Google Search Criteria:
Martin Fenlon, Head of Business Continuity at the Emergency Planning College


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 5
11. To be clear: Washington State is not a member of LABCoN. There was no prearranged “conference” which required travel to Washington  to attend. This was an initiative organized by Mr. James and almost entirely paid for by British Columbia taxpayers. It took place in Washington because Mr. James decided the group should visit Washington.


14
  (a) In his response, Mr. James states that meetings in Victoria included “earthquake preparedness.” The Agenda states that at 3:30 pm on Sunday,  August 13, delegates attended “Tsunami Watch: Guided tours of Haro Strait and Juan de Fuca Strait with explanations of aquatic life and seismic activity.”   The actual activity was in fact a whale watching expedition: a receipt shows that a staffer in the Sergeant-at- Arms’ office booked “Victoria Ocean Magic.


 (c) The itinerary lists, at 12:40 pm on Wednesday, August 16,“

Safe passages: Large-Scale Evacuations”, at Safeco Field in Seattle. In fact, at 12:40 pm on that day, the Seattle Mariners hosted the Baltimore Orioles. British Columbia paid for 13 tickets to that game, at a cost of US $1,073.32.

 C. SAME TOPICS, SAME PEOPLE
17. Throughout their responses, Mr. James and Mr. Lenz emphasise how important it is to develop relationships and compare best practices with other parliamentary officials. I don’t  disagree with that, in principle: but what they do not mention is that these meetings tend to be with the same people, discussing the same topics, sometimes many times per year, in different locations around the world. 18. Two of the foreign visitors for the LABCoN conference [sic] referred to above were Tommy Lynch and Martin Fenlon. Mr. Lynch is the “Business Continuity Manager” at the Scottish Parliament. Mr. Fenlon was described as “Head of Business Continuity” at the Emergency Planning College, and an “Advisor” to the UK Government.

9. In our December 2017 trip to Scotland, we had a number of meetings on the topic of business continuity and disaster preparedness. We met with various people, Mr. Lynch among them. Mr. James characterizes this as, “Meetings with the Scottish Parliament regarding business continuity and crisis planning. The individuals we met with are absolute experts in their areas and are recognized as such around the world. They (and we) are part of a group called the Legislative Assemblies Business Continuity Network…”

ETC.



Check out  Bob Mackin reporting because he has a lot more at his website than the others from the mainstream press (newspaper division)(probably electronic version too)

 

Friday, February 15, 2019

The Hook: Andrew MacLeod: Clerk Basic Salary: November 23, 2011: 'an arrangement was made'

The Tyee
The Hook
 Published November 23, 2011

(MacMinn) “I’m not disclosing my basic salary,” he said in an interview, though he noted he is paid less than he was when he was clerk. “The remuneration aspect of the thing, as you know, is personal. We don’t disclose those things.”

MacMinn said an arrangement satisfactory to all sides was made between himself, speaker Bill Barisoff and the current clerk, Craig James. He will stay for two years and provide advice to the legislature’s table officers as long as he is useful, he said.
Snip

Ireland gave Trump permission to build his first wall .... to protect his golf course ... Wall II by Land $8B, Wall III by Sea $800B?

2017 Ireland Trump Golf Course Wall

The last time I looked, the US is surrounded by water to the east (Atlantic), to the west (Pacific) and partially to the south (Gulf of Mexico).  To the north ... Canada ... no problem there (one exception: Alaska is facing Russia).

Greece, Italy, France and every other country bordering on the Mediterranean has had a sudden influx from migrants crossing over from the area south by any means that float, or almost float.

So how will a wall (on land)  stop the illegal immigrants arriving by water?


Canada Updates

Sunday, February 10, 2019

BC Speaker Linda Reid: 'the fault be imputed to me' and not her two Lieutenant-Governors

BC Liberal 'SpeakerGate' is open for business.

The public has heard from almost everyone, politically, but not a word has been uttered from the three Lieutenant Governors on the present state of affairs in Victoria.   When the BC Liberals 'anointed' appointed Craig James as Clerk of the House they did so without the required 100% support of the MLAs.  Not one opposition Members of the Legislative Assembly had a vote to display their disagreement with the BC Liberals choice while the supposedly independent Speaker sat deaf, dumb and blind.

Hon. Steven L. Point Lt.-Governor (2007 - 2012);  Speaker Bill Barisoff & Speaker Linda Reid:
Hon. J. Guichon        Lt.-Governor(2012 - 2018);  Speaker Linda Reid & Speaker Darryl Plecas
Hon. Janet Austin     Lt.-Governor (2018-2019).  Speaker Daryl Plecas


There's a set speech that each and every Speaker must say when the Lt.-Governor is present in the Legislature.  Past Speakers, Barisoff and Reid, continue to be mute, not available for comment, while the corruption of our democracy by the BC Liberals took place under their collective, corruption watch.

eg   Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Madame Speaker (Linda Reid): Hon. Members, Her Honour the Lieutenant-Governor is in the precinct. Please remain seated while we await her arrival.
(Her Honour the Lt.-Governor requested to attend the House, was admitted to the chamber and took her seat on the throne.)

Madame Speaker (Linda Reid): May it please Your Honour, the House of Assembly has elected me as their Speaker, though I am but little able to fulfill the important duties thus assigned to me. If, in the performance of these duties, I should at any time fall into error, I pray that the fault be imputed to me and not to the assembly whose servant I am and who, through me, the better to enable them to discharge their duty to the Queen and country, humbly claim all their undoubted rights and privileges, especially that they may have freedom of speech in their debates, access to Your Honour's person at all seasonable times and that their proceedings may receive from Your Honour the most favourable interpretation.

Hon. S. Anton (BC Liberal AG): Madame Speaker, I am commanded by Her Honour the Lt.-Governor to declare to you that she freely confides in the duty and attachment of the House of Assembly to Her Majesty's person and government, and not doubting that their respective proceedings will be conducted with wisdom, temper and prudence, she grants, and upon all occasions will recognize and allow, their constitutional privileges.

I am commanded also to assure you that the assembly shall have ready access to Her Honour the Lt.-Governor upon all seasonable occasions and that their proceedings, as well as your words and actions, will constantly receive from her the most favourable construction.
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Upcoming Speech from the Throne will be read out by the Lt. Governor on February 12, 2019

Hypothetically .....
Hon. Janet Austin (Lieutenant-Governor): My Fellow British Columbians ,.....................I am pleased with the Current Speaker who is doing a wonderful job of cleaning the House, top to bottom.  As to his predecessors mismanagement of their staff ..... and the public's squandered monies ...




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Penticton Western New
Joe Fries
2007
..... Barisoff allowed that the auditor general’s report caused “a little bit of an embarrassment, but sometimes those kinds of things make the whole program better in the end.” The legislative management committee was scheduled to meet Tuesday to discuss the report and build a plan to expedite its response to Doyle’s concerns. On Monday, B.C. Conservative leader John Cummins called for Barisoff, a Liberal, to resign because the Speaker “failed to safeguard public monies.” “Not only has he failed to implement recommendations to improve accountability that were made by the auditor general five years ago, he has exhibited a lackadaisical — almost negligent — attitude towards the use or misuse of taxpayers’ funds,” Cummins said in a press release.


July 31, 2012

In regard to the bottom of two reports from Reporter Joe Fries in the above image .... the link
The lion’s share of BCLC’s net income, $696.3 million, was transferred to the provincial government’s coffers as general revenue.

Saturday, February 2, 2019

If only bcIMC's offspring QuadReal understood that on the North Shore there is a difference between V7T 1A9 & V7P 1S3 ownership

ADD CAPTION   any Suggestions?


Owner of Park Royal Tower is Maple Leaf Property Management







Map
According to the QuadReal's website, their Capilano Mall "Tower 1" is located at 935 Marine Dr. West Vancouver, British Columbia, V7T 1A9    whereas in reality Capilano Mall is in City of North Vancouver.  It must get terribly confusing to QuadReal, operating two of their offices so close together.  Downtown Vancouver and Cap Mall.




Who is QuadReal?


British Columbia Investment Management Corporation  = bcIMC

Municipal Pension Plan, Public Service Pension Plan, Teacher's Pension Plan, College Pension Plan, BC Hydro Pension Plan, WorkSafeBC Pension Plan

Our clients:

BCI makes investment decisions that secure the financial futures of our clients’ pension plan members, representing more than 583,000 people in British Columbia, and the insurance and benefit funds for over 2.3 million workers. This is a role that we take very seriously. We focus on understanding our clients’ different investment needs – whether managing pension funds on behalf of trustees, growing capital reserves for insurance funds, or generating income for trust funds.


Jun 1, 2016 - bcIMC launches QuadReal
Victoria, BC – The British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (bcIMC), through its Realpool Investment Funds, today launched QuadReal Property Group (“QuadReal”), an independent privately held company based in Vancouver, Canada. QuadReal will be owned by bcIMC and will manage bcIMC’s more than $18 billion in real estate assets. In addition, QuadReal will have a mandate to acquire and grow real estate investments in Canada and in new markets in the US, Asia and Europe while continuing to deliver strong, reliable long-term returns for bcIMC’s pension plan, public trust and insurance fund clients.

This image advertisement is supposedly a true representation of Capilano Mall's North East corner on Marine Drive, however, as Joni Mitchell ...... sings ...


RealQuad (2019) 'Took Out the Parking Lot' for esthetics

RealTime 2019-02-03 photo
This is RealQuad's current location