Earlier, we reported New Democrat public accounts committee member Bruce Ralston was questioning the use of an executive search firm to select British Columbia's next auditor general. The reason: back in 2001, four headhunters - The Caldwell Partners International Inc., Korn/Ferry International Inc., Ray & Berndtson/Tanton Mitchell Inc. and Patrick O'Callaghan and Associates - donated their time to identify potential senior bureaucrats on behalf of the incoming Campbell administration. And that administration has been good for the executive search industry. According to a Public Eye review of government financial records, between fiscal 2001/02 and 2004/05, $3.3 million was transferred to headhunting specialists on a current list of pre-qualified executive search firms, with the biggest winner being Caldwell at $759,509. By comparison, when the New Democrats were in power, those same specialists received just $435,384 between fiscal 1997/98 and 2000/01. And now, the industry even has one of its own sitting in Liberal caucus: Iain Black, who was a partner at Caldwell until 1999 and is now a...er...member of the public accounts committee.

Fiscal 1997/98

Caldwell Partners International Inc. $63,334
Pinton Forrest & Madden Group Inc. $25,340

Fiscal 1998/99

Ray & Berndtson/Tanton Mitchell Inc. $60,803

Fiscal 1999/00

The Caldwell Partners International Inc. $35,724
Ray & Berndtson/Tanton Mitchell Inc. $25,151

Fiscal 2000/01

The Caldwell Partners International Inc. $53,853
CNC Global Ltd. $123,816
Ray & Berndtson/Tanton Mitchell Inc. $47,363

Fiscal 2001/02

The Caldwell Partners International Inc. $212,628
CNC Global Ltd. $109,714
Korn/Ferry International Inc. $76,293
Manpower Professional Inc. $50,466
Pinton Forrest & Madden Group Inc. $86,651
Ray & Berndtson/Tanton Mitchell Inc. $104,668
Western Executive Selection Inc. $25,000

Fiscal 2002/03

Angus One Ltd. $80,848
The Caldwell Partners International Inc. $122,000
CNC Global Ltd. $149,834
Korn/Ferry International Inc. $109,768
Pinton Forrest & Madden Group Inc. $72,175
Ray & Berndtson/Tanton Mitchell Inc. $90,731
Western Executive Selection Inc. $47,619

Fiscal 2003/04

Angus One Ltd. $197,410
The Caldwell Partners International Inc. $177,881
CNC Global Ltd. $192,967
Korn/Ferry International Inc. $105,332
Pinton Forrest & Madden Group Inc. $211,494
Ray & Berndtson/Tanton Mitchell Inc. $169,093
Western Executive Selection Inc. $41,948

Fiscal 2004/05

Angus One Ltd. $118,266
The Caldwell Partners International Inc. $247,000
CNC Global Ltd. $139,862
Korn/Ferry International $59,314
Pinton Forrest & Madden Group Inc. $119,856
Ray & Berndtson/Tanton Mitchell Inc. $82,834
The 500 Staffing Services Inc. $137,764