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."
Council heard Wednesday night from more than two dozen speakers both for and against the proposal to set a $45 annual fee for overnight street parking anywhere in Vancouver.
There are 5,945 active cases of COVID-19 in the province and 182,786 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 350 individuals are in hospital and 136 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.
Speaking at a news conference where he was announcing mandatory vaccine rules for federal public servants as well as train and plane passengers, Trudeau said he was “stunned and dismayed” at recent revelations about Maj.-Gen. Peter Dawe.
The low rates have been a key economic rationale for why the government can afford the elevated spending and deep deficits needed to put a financial floor under businesses and workers impacted by COVID-19.
Dr. Katharine Smart says there's a feeling of hopelessness among health-care workers in the country that their governments are not listening to them as they try to manage the pandemic and feel there's no end in sight.
Isobel Mackenzie's figures come from a report released today that recommends expanding paid sick-leave provisions for staff, hiring more registered nurses, eliminating shared rooms and increasing the scope and frequency of COVID-19 testing.
