It's been almost three weeks since Graham Whitmarsh was appointed British Columbia's top climate change bureaucrat. And the government has yet to answer detailed questions about his background. So, in the absence of such answers, we're pleased to continue to fill-in some of those blanks: earlier, we reported Mr. Whitmarsh was the North America vice-president for Sabre Airline Solutions. And, in an interview with Public Eye, a representative from the Texas-based information technology company confirmed he was with the firm between July 26, 2004 and July 12, 2005. That means, when you include his eight years at British Aerospace PLC and his five years at Mercury Scheduling Systems Inc., we've now accounted for around 14 years of Mr. Whitmarsh's "17 years of diverse international business experience."

Meanwhile, in an interview with Public Eye, Northern Energy and Mining Inc. board member and former president David Austin - who served with Mr. Whitmarsh on the board of capital pool company Crossroad Ventures Inc. - wasn't able to say much about the former executive's background in carbon trading. "I really couldn't help you with that. I know Graham more as a personal friend. He's very capable. That's the one thing I can tell you. And I have a high regard for him. So I really couldn't tell you any history on that. I'm in the coal business. So we might actually be conflicting with one another."

The premier's communications director Dale Steeves has said Mr. Whitmarsh, "understands the key actions taken by other jurisdictions with respect to cap and trade and carbon offsets" - as well as having "completed research into the market for carbon offsets and the opportunity that they present to BC." Mr. Steeves has refused to say what qualifications Mr. Whitmarsh has to "understand" cap and trade systems. Nor would he say whether Mr. Whitmarsh's research into those systems was done as part of his present work with government or a past post.