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."
Kevin Falcon, a former minister of finance, health and transportation in the Liberal governments of premiers Gordon Campbell and Christy Clark, faced repeated questions Tuesday about his reasons for seeking the leadership after leaving politics in 2012.
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry has resisted calls by parents and teachers to require all students to wear the face coverings, saying ventilation and limitations to intermingling between classes in different grades are also important factors.
In a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the group PolySeSouvient calls for the appointment of a minister who "truly supports gun control." PolySeSouvient has frequently expressed frustration with Liberal efforts to strengthen gun laws, led in recent years by Bill Blair, a former Toronto police chief, as public safety minister.
Lewis said the last miner to emerge from the ground was taken away in an ambulance as a precautionary measure, but "walked onto the ambulance and was giving fist bumps to the mine rescue team in the warm room."
Dr. Katharine Smart, president of the national association, is urging the federal and provincial governments to take immediate action. The association is calling for short, controlled lockdowns, often called "firebreakers" or "circuit-breakers," which would close schools and non-essential businesses.
Questions remain about what the return to Parliament will look like for Canada's 338 representatives after the recent federal election saw the Liberals re-elected to a minority government.
