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."
Statistics Canada says more than 19,000 Canadians lost their lives during COVID-19 than would have been expected had the pandemic never happened. The report highlights the deadly toll COVID-19 has taken directly and indirectly on Canadian lives.
O'Toole remains the lone leader in Parliament who refuses to disclose how many of his 118-member caucus are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Immunization will be a requirement for MPs wishing to take their seat in the House of Commons when it resumes Nov. 22.
Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne offered the assessment in an interview Monday from Germany, part of a weeklong, three-country European swing that will take him to Paris later in the coming days for a major international conference on the future of AI.
Research has indicated significantly less uptake in COVID-19 vaccines among racialized Canadians — particularly those who are Black — said Dr. Kwame McKenzie, CEO of policy think tank Wellesley Institute.
In her letter, Chrystia Freeland asked that knowledge of French become an important criterion for securing promotions at the airline, which is subject to the Official Languages Act.
Buses, pedestrians and cyclists were still diverted from University Boulevard as crews continued clearing away fallen trees and branches two days after the warning. No one was hurt and the tornado watch issued by Environment Canada was quickly lifted.
