Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 01 Mar, 2022 01:30 PM
VANCOUVER - A special prosecutor says British Columbia's former clerk of the legislative assembly used public funds to enrich himself in "glaring and egregious" ways.
Brock Martland made the allegation as he began closing arguments in the Crown's case against Craig James, who has pleaded not guilty to two counts of fraud over $5,000 and three counts of breach of trust.
James's defence is expected to present its case Wednesday.
Martland says that as the most senior officer of the legislature, James held a position akin to the CEO and was responsible for financial stewardship of the institution.
He accused James of acting outside of his duties by picking up a wood splitter and trailer for the legislature and storing them at home for a year, exploiting a weakness in the system to award himself a $258,000 retirement benefit and charging souvenirs to the public purse.
Martland says public trust in government officials is a critical part of a functioning democracy, and he alleged that James violated that trust.
"This case is about trust, specifically the public trust that we place in government officials," Martland told the court on Tuesday.
"Our position is that the public trust was violated repeatedly and extensively by Craig James."
Ontario parents can start making appointments for eligible kids ages five to 11 starting Tuesday. Doses are expected to be handed out as early as Thursday, the province said.
Lush says it is investing in new ways to connect and for now can still be found on Twitter and YouTube. The company says it previously tried this in 2019 with Lush's U.K. channels, but says its resolve has been strengthened by recent information.
Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth, along with the ministers of transportation and agriculture, are set to host a morning news conference. It comes after a weekend that saw soldiers arrive to help farmers save livestock and lend a hand in sandbagging efforts.
There are currently 3,420 active cases of COVID-19 in B.C. That total includes 358 infectious patients in hospital, 109 of them in intensive care units.
This order, effective immediately, until Dec. 1, 2021, applies to all fuel suppliers in the Lower Mainland-to-Hope region, the Sea-to-Sky region, Sunshine Coast, the Gulf Islands and Vancouver Island.
In a letter to Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, the NDP critic on the file notes that federal officials in the spring looked into which families would lose the most in benefits this year.
