Close X
Thursday, November 14, 2024
ADVT 
National

Ministerial adviser, Gurveen Dhaliwal, won't be charged in election rule violation probe

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 06 Jul, 2023 03:13 PM
  • Ministerial adviser, Gurveen Dhaliwal, won't be charged in election rule violation probe

A former school board trustee from Metro Vancouver who later became a provincial government adviser will not be charged for allegedly violating election laws, the British Columbia Prosecution Service said Thursday.

The service had tapped a special prosecutor in May to give legal advice on the investigation of Gurveen Dhaliwal, who served as a trustee in New Westminster before being named as an adviser to Health Minister Adrian Dix on May 1.

The investigation stemmed from Dhaliwal's presence as a scrutineer during the same election last November in which she was running for a second term.

The Local Government Act prohibits candidates from being in voting places for any purpose other than casting a ballot. 

Special Prosecutor John Gordon found Dhaliwal's presence as a scrutineer likely contravened the provisions of the act.

But he declined to charge her for violations because the "charge assessment standard" had not been met, the prosecution service said in a statement.

Gordon concluded that Dhaliwal's brief stint as a scrutineer constituted "a genuine mistake or misunderstanding of fact," the service said.

"During the police investigation Ms. Dhaliwal stated that she was unaware that, as a candidate, she was prohibited from being present at the voting place for any purpose other than casting her own ballot," it said.

"This fact was not noticed or brought to her attention when she presented her candidate representation form to the Presiding Election Official at the voting place and was permitted to remain as a scrutineer."

Dhaliwal did not serve as a scrutineer for long, about 20 minutes, and "nothing remarkable" occurred while she was present, the statement noted.

Dhaliwal did not return a request for comment on the decision, but a statement released through her lawyer said she was "vindicated."

Her appointment to the Health Ministry was rescinded May 15, shortly after the special prosecutor's appointment.

Dhaliwal was made an adviser to the labour minister that same day, before the premier's office said on May 26 that she'd been placed on leave.

 

MORE National ARTICLES

B.C. must urgently change forest strategies or face more wildfire disasters: report

B.C. must urgently change forest strategies or face more wildfire disasters: report
British Columbia's independent forests watchdog is calling for the provincial government to make critical changes to how it manages forests to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires. It comes as the largest wildfire in the province's history, the Donnie Creek wildfire, continues to burn out of control in the remote northeast.  

B.C. must urgently change forest strategies or face more wildfire disasters: report

BOC outlook survey

BOC outlook survey
The Bank of Canada's latest business outlook survey suggests businesses still anticipate larger-than-normal wage and price increases over the next year. The central bank reports expectations are shifting closer to what they were before the pandemic.

BOC outlook survey

B.C. health authority issues drug alert after benzodiazepines found in vape juice

B.C. health authority issues drug alert after benzodiazepines found in vape juice
Fraser Health issued an overdose alert Thursday saying the juice that tested positive contained cannabis and suspected synthetic cannabinoids and was sold in refillable, unmarked and unbranded cartridges. It did not specify where the product was sold.

B.C. health authority issues drug alert after benzodiazepines found in vape juice

Teenage hiker Esther Wang is found safe after two days lost in B.C. park

Teenage hiker Esther Wang is found safe after two days lost in B.C. park
Team manager Ryan Smith with Ridge Meadows Search and Rescue says Esther Wang was located Thursday night and has gone home with her family after a medical assessment. RCMP say the 16-year-old from Langley, B.C., was part of a group of four people who were hiking in Golden Ears Provincial Park on Tuesday.

Teenage hiker Esther Wang is found safe after two days lost in B.C. park

Transit altercation results in a broken jaw and severed finger

Transit altercation results in a broken jaw and severed finger
On May 23rd just before 6:00 p.m., a physical altercation took place between two men, not known to each other, as they were boarding the same bus at the Marine Drive Canada Line Station in Vancouver. During the course of the altercation, a bus window was broken and a bystander was injured.  

Transit altercation results in a broken jaw and severed finger

B.C. staff who failed to check on two abused foster children lose jobs: ministry

B.C. staff who failed to check on two abused foster children lose jobs: ministry
While the Ministry of Children and Family Development did not provide the names or the number of people involved, it said in a statement "the staff who were directly involved in this case are no longer employed by the ministry." The statement said ministry staff did not follow its policy that children in care should be seen regularly by a social worker.    

B.C. staff who failed to check on two abused foster children lose jobs: ministry