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."
The victim initially met the suspect in the 10500-block of King George Boulevard and they walked to a secondary location. While en route to the location, they walked through a wooded area where the suspect attacked the victim.
The Liberals promised more than a dozen initiatives in their election platform — including the introduction or reintroduction of at least eight bills — within the first 100 days of a new mandate.
The federal Liberal government has already inked deals with seven provinces and one territory on its $30-billion, five-year child care plan, which promises to cut child-care prices to an average of $10 per day across the country, but Alberta and Ontario so far have remained holdouts.
WASHINGTON - Business leaders in Canada are urging Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to show some tough love when he visits the White House this week. Trudeau is scheduled to meet face-to-face Thursday with U.S. President Joe Biden and Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
Employees in the core federal public sector who have not been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 will be put on unpaid leave today, unless they were already granted an accommodation. The policy could potentially leave more than 1,000 workers without pay and unable to access employment insurance benefits.
Jenny Kwan, NDP MP for Vancouver East, says she opted in to an expert security assessment of her home and it made her feel safer knowing the measures are up to par not just for herself but also her family.
