Independent power producers, horseracers and liquor lobbyists will be among the foursomes teeing off at the provincial Liberal Leader's Invitational Golf Tournament. This, according to a list obtained exclusively by Public Eye. The tournament, which is scheduled to take place on June 2 at the Golden Eagle Golf Course in Maple Ridge, is one of the party's most profitable fundraisers, raising them $168,972.16 in 2005, $257,103.92 in 2006 and $250,973.06 in 2007. The following is a complete listing of those foursomes, along with details of some of the lesser known or more newsworthy companies and associations who will be hitting the greens with Premier Gordon Campbell.

Alliance of Beverage Licensees of British Columbia: "The unified voice for all liquor primary and licensee retail stores," the alliance hired former Campbell administration ministerial assistant Kim Haakstad as its executive director last June. In 2003, 2005, and 2006, the Liberals reduced the price those stores have to pay to purchase liquor from the government.

Coniagas Farms Ltd.: A farm owned by Maple Ridge councillor and former Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows Liberal legislator Ken Stewart.

Lark Group: An industrial and commercial developer, in 2005 the Fraser Health Authority partnered with the company to construct a new purpose-built health services building next to Ridge Meadows Hospital - the first such public-private deal in the province. Lark made headlines in April 2007 when Surrey council denied its application to turn the Seacrest Motel and RV Park into 14 single-family residences. The company had offered to "to move 13 families from Seacrest to mobile home parks in Newton, or to other parks with rental rates within 30 per cent of Seacrest's rate of $500 to $600," according to The Leader.

London Air Services Inc.: An executive air services company, its president G. Wynne Powell has been a Provincial Health Services Authority board member since December 11, 2004. And, on March 4, 2008, its chief financial officer and chief privacy officer Laird Miller was appointed to Tourism British Columbia's board of directors. The company is a division of H.Y. Louie Ltd.

The Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association: The association "committed to working for the betterment of thoroughbred horse racing on all levels, including the three levels of government." In 2004, it presented Solicitor General Rich Coleman with a pair of $500 Swarovski crystal horses in 2004 "for supporting" the horseracing industry.

Plutonic Power Corporation Inc.: An independent power producer, the company has made headlines for putting former Campbell administration aides David Cyr, Robert Poore and Tom Syer on its payroll.

TBC Teletheatre BC Ltd.: Established in 1994, the company is a partnership between Great Canadian Gaming Corp.-owned Fraser Downs Racetrack and Casino, Hastings Entertainment Inc., the British Columbia Standardbred Association and the Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association. It's "the only entity authorized by the provincial government to provide off-track wagering services in British Columbia."

Compass Group Canada Ltd.: This foodservice management company is the tournament's course activities sponsor. It was awarded controversial housekeeping and food service privatization contracts by the Provincial Health Services Authority and the Vancouver Island Health Authority in 2003 and 2004 respectively.

Liquor Stores Income Fund: The largest operator of private liquor stores in Canada - including 31 in British Columbia. Former Campbell administration finance minister Gary Collins was named a fund trustee in September 2006.

Pacific Customs Group of Companies: A customs brokerage, the company's chief executive officer Glen Todd co-owns a number of horses with Liberal backroom boy Patrick Kinsella.

Plenary Group: A constorium including the public-private partnership speciliast was among the firms invited to bid on building expansions to the Kelowna General, Vernon Jubilee and Royal Jubilee hospitals, the Surrey Outpatient Hospital. But those deals were subsequently awarded to competing companies. In March 2007, the company made headlines when the Times Colonist's Les Leyne reported it had hired Partnerships British Columbia's partnerships development vice-president Mike Marasco. At the time, Mr. Leyne wrote, "It presented an obvious potential for conflict of interest, so both Plenary and the government took steps to address it. The question is whether those steps are enough."

***

Thank you for joining the Fraser Valley MLA’s...

A full day of fun - includes breakfast, lunch and dinner, golf and on-course activities 8:30 am to 8 pm, Monday, June 2

Every golfer/guest invited to donate a bottle of BC wine for the Wine Cellar...bring BC Wine with you to the course, just as one would bring a bottle of wine to their dinner host...each donor’s name is dropped into the wine cellar give away.

Below is the agenda and outline of the day’s activities for the Leaders Invitational Golf Tournament, June 2. Next week your starting hole, registration information and parking pass (security pass) will be emailed to you.

Golden Eagle Golf Club - 21770 Ladner Road - Pitt Meadows, BC - V3Y 1Z1

http://www.goldeneaglegolfclub.com/directions.cfm - Phone: 604-460-1111

Registration from 8:30 am to 10 am: Golden Eagle Golf Course - End of day: 8 pm

Golf Format – the BC Shamble – two net best-ball, no handicap required.

(Team format for best drive only, play own ball from second shot on, each player to use 3 drives each)

Remember – the day is about the people, not the score… however there are prizes galore!

* Golfer Registration and welcome Breakfast - 8:30 am to 10:00 am (casual, continental on the patio, with Van Houtte Coffee, and Dempster’s Premium Bagels)

* Silent Auction from 9:00 am to 10:00 am on the patio of the clubhouse

* 10:00 am – Randy Bartsch, Chair, introduces the Fraser Valley MLA’s - welcome from the deck of the clubhouse

* 10:10 –all golfers to the 18th Green south for Million Dollar Shoot out

* 10:15 am – The million dollar shootout (2007 KP winners entered to win, plus one random entry from the 2008 golfers on site by 10 am)

* 10:45 am – all golfers proceed to carts, and proceed to the golf holes

* 11:00 am – golf tournament begins

* 4:00 pm – golf tournament ends

* 4 to 5 pm – Outdoor Reception at clubhouse

* 5:00 pm – Golfers invited to dinner, Fraser Valley MLA’s welcomes all

* 5:00 pm – to 5:20 pm – A message from Premier Gordon Campbell

* 5:20 to 5:50 – Live Auction – Dave Holmberg, Auctioneer

* 5:50 pm – Parade of Volunteers

* 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm – Fraser Valley “Hopcott Meats” Grilled Sirloin Steak and Salmon Barbecue dinner

* 7:00 pm – prizes and awards (Rich Coleman)

* 7:30 to 8:00 pm – Formal End of tournament, golfers receiving thank you gift on the way out of the parking lot from the Leaders Invitational Golf Committee

Thank you to our Host Partner

Golden Eagle Golf Club
www.goldeneaglegolfclub.com

Thank you to our North Course Sponsor
Super Save Group of Companies
www.supersave.ca

Thank you to our South Course Sponsor
Burnco Group of Companies
www.burnco.com

Thank you to our on course Activities Sponsor
Compass Group Canada
www.compass-canada.com

Thank you to our confirmed teams to date:

Alliance of Beverage Licensees of British Columbia (Al Arbuthnot)
Aquilini Investment Group (Francesco Aquilini)
BC Hotel Association (Earl Wilde)
BC Lions (Jamie Taras)
BC Restaurant Hall of Fame (Bing Smith)
Becker and Company (John Becker)
Bell Canada (Elin Haponen)
Bobcat Country Inc. (Dave Holmberg)
BTY Group Ltd. (Paddy Gunn)
BURNCO Group of Companies (Scott Burns)
Canada Bread Company (John Penner)
Canada's National Brewers - West (Greg D'Avignon)
Canex Building Supplies Ltd. (Bruce van den Brink)
Centra Windows Ltd. (John Tilstra)
Colliers International (Howie Charters)
Compass Group Canada (Lynn Tran)
Coniagas Farms (Ken Stewart)
ContainerWorld (Dennis Chrismas)
Coquitlam Inn Convention Centre (Ron Little)
Encorp Pacific (Neil Hastie)
Energy Savings (Gord Potter)
Fraser River Pile and Dredge (GP) Inc. (Ewan Moir)
GlaxoSmithKline (Peter Simpson)
Golder Associates Ltd. (Brian Conlin)
Granville Island Brewery (Walter Cosman)
H.B.P.A. (Mel Snow)
ICBA (Philip Hochstein)
Impark (Allan Copping)
Janssen-Ortho (Brent Korte)
K&T Properties (Frank Rhodes)
Lafarge Canada Inc. (Bruce Willmer)
Lark Group (Larry Fisher)
Laser Valley Technologies (Perry Niehaus)
LifeScan Canada Ltd. (Les Kl ajnscek)
Liquor Stores Income Fund (Rick Crook)
London Air Services Limited (Laird Miller)
Mainland Sand and Gravel Ltd. (Ted Carlson)
Mainland Sand and Gravel Ltd. (Brent Carlson)
New West Gypsum Recycling (Rob Davie)
Pacific Customs Group of Companies (Glen Todd)
Plenary Group (Paul Dunstan)
Plutonic Power Corp. (Tom Syer)
Protec Management Ltd. (Ben Wendland)
Richmond Steel Recycling (Harbinder Dhillon)
Rogers Retail (Joanne Brown)
Rogers Video (Joanne Brown)
Stuart Olson Constructors Inc. (Earl Cutting)
Super Save Group of Companies (Larry Gibson)
TBC Teletheatre BC (Bill McNeill)
Telus (Kim Logan)
Terasen Gas (David Bodnar)
Terasen Gas (Dwain Bell)
Timberwest Forest Corp. (Bev Park)
Valley Trucking (Corey Pannu)
Westminster Savings Credit Union (Barry Forbes)
Windset Farms (John Newell Sr.)