July 2004 Archives

Attention press gallery members: provincial government media relations officer Tiffany Akins will no longer be required to hang onto your every word. Ms. Akins, who is best known for tape recording the conversations between reporters and cabinet ministers outside the legislature, is leaving to become a public affairs officer at water, land and air protection (also known as the Ministry of Earth, Wind and Fire) - effective Tuesday. The affable former television reporter and praire girl was hired as a media monitoring officer back in 2003.

The provincial Liberals are just going to love this: according to the rumour mill, former New Democrat insiders Shari Graydon and Chris Chilton wil be staffing federal Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh's office. Ms. Graydon was a Vancouver Sun columnist before she became the ex-premier's press secretary. She is also married to former West Vancouver-Garibaldi Liberal MLA David Mitchell.

Earlier today, we reported Pam McDonald, Victoria MP David Anderson's former aide, was working with the 2010 Olympic Organizing Committee - but perhaps not for much longer. Word has reached Public Eye's ears, via a concerned citizen, that Annette Antoniak, the deputy minister of the provincial government's Olympic Games Secretariat, has some very strong feelings about Ms. McDonald, the secretariat's executive director of business development, and has been working overtime to have her removed from the project.

An advanced copy of next month's edition of BC Political Insider, obtained exclusively by Public Eye, reveals there may be more troubled waters ahead for British Columbia Ferry Services Inc. According to newsletter co-founder and former provincial Liberal communications director Ian Jessop, "While a small group of MLAs are opposed to (the company's) decision to have two super-C-class ferries built in Germany or Finland, their ranks may increase when they find out that some of the smaller ferries will be built in Europe too. A source tells BC Political Insider that the smaller ferries currently servicing the Gulf Islands need replacing and they will be built in Poland. That announcement has yet to be made public."

Yesterday, Public Eye reported Paul Taylor, the politically carnivorous deputy minister at finance, had become bored/frustrated with his current job and may be appointed as the president and chief executive officer of the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia. This, and other media reports published today, prompted T. Richard Turner, who chairs the corporation's board of directors, to send out an internal announcement assuring employees that a new chief executive officer had not yet been selected. However, according to the leaked email, "in June, the Board of Directors contracted with Ray & Berndtson Tanton Mitchell to assist with the search for a new CEO. The search is still in progress. What has occurred is that during the search, government identified a very qualified internal candidate. This person has indicated interest in the position and will be considered along with other candidates." The following is a copy of that email.

Victoria MP David Anderson may be many things but he isn't a class traitor. The former cabinet minister, federal Liberal princeling and living embodiment of upper-crust Victoria society won't be joining the New Democrats, says a close friend and political ally. Nor will Mr. Anderson accept a patronage appointment that would force a by-election - with one big exception. According to the friend, Mr. Anderson might consider taking over from Michael Kergin as Canada's ambassador to the United States.

The political temperature is heating up in British Columbia's northern capital. Word has reached Public Eye that Prince George city councillor Murray Krause is considering carrying the provincial New Democrat banner against Prince George North MLA Pat Bell, the Minister of State for Mining. Mr. Krause is the executive director of the Central Interior Native Health Society and previously worked as the executive director of the Prince George United Way for 13 years. Minister Bell won the riding in 2001 with 61 percent of the vote.

Just how optimistic are the provincial New Democrats about their chances in the next election? Optimistic enough that Tom Sigurdson is rumoured to be coming back from Ontario to run against ex-MLA Pietro Calendino in the nomination race for Burnaby North. Mr. Siggurdson was formerly the executive director of the British Columbia and Yukon Building and Construction Trades Council, an umbrella group representing 45,000 unionized construction workers. But he left that position in 2003 to become the director of political and legislative affairs for the Building and Construction Trades Department, a national organization coordinating 15 affiliated construction industry trade unions. If Mr. Siggurdson gets the nomination, he'll face off against Liberal backbencher Richard Lee who won the traditional New Democrat seat with 54 percent of the vote in 2001.

Paul Taylor, the reigning lord and master of the provincial Treasury Board, has bequeathed his lands and title to Tamara Vrooman, the former deputy minister of strategic initiatives and corporate services at health services and planning. The board is a cabinet committee chaired by Finance Minister Gary Collins and responsible for overseeing and approving ministerial spending plans.

Government Whip Kevin Krueger's executive assistant Steven Puhallo is making a horizontal move to Sustainable Resource Management Minister George Abbot's office. That position opened up when Jerry Muir was appointed acting ministerial assistant to Minister of State for Mining Pat Bell, filling a spot vacated by Jeff Hanman (who is now working for Energy and Mines Minister Rich Neufeld). Mr. Puhallo was once described by his former boss as "a little cowboy from Kamloops."

They may not be getting Senate seats. But a number of Grit apparatchiks are being rewarded with staff positions for their work during the federal election, confirm three party members. At the top of the appointment list: unsuccessful Burnaby-Douglas candidate Billy Cunningham, the president of the federal Liberals in British Columbia. Mr. Cunningham, a client relations manager with the Toronto Dominion Bank, is set to become a senior advisor at the minister's regional office. He is close friends with Martinite boss Mark Marissen, drinking buddies with Liberal political hitman Erik Bornman and had a previous relationship with national campaign director Michele Cadario.

The race to succeed retiring Vancouver-Hastings New Democrat MLA Joy MacPhail hasn't started. But potential nomination candidates are already jockeying for position. Among them: CBC star Raj Sihota, Ms. MacPhail's former executive assistant. Ms. Sihota is currently the provincial Opposition's outreach coordinator, making her responsible for stickhandling caucus' dealings with everyone from the British Columbia Federation of Labour to Howe Street.

If the provincial Young New Democrats had their way, every Dunsmuir street and park in the province would be re-named after labour activist Ginger Goodwin. That was one of four resolutions passed by the youngsters at an annual general meeting and retreat held in Cumberland last month. According to meeting minutes leaked to Public Eye, the 20 Young New Democrats in attendance, including co-chairs Miriam Martin and Aaron O'Keefe, passed the resolution because British Columbia coal baron Lord Dunsmuir was an "oppressive, racist slave driver, union buster, and an all around excellent example of the Capitalist class." In another resolution, the Young New Democrats decided to eat their own and "criticize the poor leadership of the HEU, BC Fed, and the BC NDP" during the recent Hospital Employees' Union strike. The following is a copy of the Cumberland annual general meeting and retreat policy debate minutes.

The public relations war over B.C. Ferry Services Inc.'s decision to build two or three new super-C-class ferries in Europe is about to escalate, Public Eye has learned. Vancouver Shipyards, part of the Washington Marine Group, has invited Transportation Minister Kevin Falcon and Premier Gordon Campbell to tour their facilities on Wednesday, according to a senior government insider.

The Lower Vancouver Island federal Conservatives are considering planting a municipal farm team in Victoria, Public Eye has learned. The theoretical team will run under a populist banner in November 2005 against Mayor Alan Lowe's pro-business, "non-partisan" slate and the Victoria Civic Electors alliance, which counts both Greens and New Democrats as members. Discussions about the new local Conservative party are set to begin in September. But already a number of names are being tossed around as potential candidates including Victoria constituency association president Paul Holmes and Jeff Bridge, who comments regularly on Public Eye and was a senior Stephen Harper operative in British Columbia during the Conservative leadership race. The Tories had previously approached Mayor Lowe about joining his slate during the last round of civic elections but were turned away.

From the party that brought you dead dogs on membership lists comes a new example of falling upward. This weekend, the Globe and Mail's Jane Taber reported, "senior Liberal insiders expect former Vancouver Kingsway MP Sophia Leung to be appointed to the Senate in September when long-time Liberal senator Edward Lawson retires." Astute readers will remember Ms. Leung stepped aside to allow forest company chief executive officer David Emerson to run in her riding. Among her qualifications for the senate slot: being voted year after year as the worst orator in the House of Commons since at least 2000, according to an annual survey of parliamentary staffers by The Hill Times. But, since no one really listens to senators anyways, her Toastmasterless skills might not matter. David Anderson, on the other hand, has been called a lot of things, but never the worst orator in the House of Commons. Yet the Victoria MP is the one who was told he wouldn't be receiving a patronage appointment.

Public Eye is proud to announce our new, unofficial slogan: "Witty and mostly accurate." That's how Young New Democrat co-chair Miriam Martin described one of our columns in a comment posted on the site last night. In that posting, Ms. Martin, a self-declared "unapologetic radical" who supported former MLA Steve Orcherton's leadership bid, fingers senior party members for leaking information about the infighting between her executive and the New Democrat brass - information that she hadn't yet shared with her own membership.

In this morning's Times Colonist, Public Eye reported
on the infighting between the provincial Young New Democrats and senior party officials. In a letter, dated July 22, the Young New Democrat executive demanded those officials handover the money needed to print and promote the youngsters' semi-communist Youth Right Charter. The letter was drafted by executive co-chair Miriam Martin, who is said by party insiders to be allied with the New Democrat Peruvian revolutionary brigade led by once and future Vancouver-Kingsway candidate/comandate Alicia Barsallo (at this point, the humourless should take a deep breathe and look up the definition of sarcasm). The following is a copy of that letter.

In the next election, provincial New Democrat leader Carole James will try convincing British Columbians like you and me that her party represent a moderate, fiscally responsible alternative to the Liberals, unless, of course, its members get in the way. Unlike the federal Liberals, whose internal donnybrooks often have more to do with power than policy, the New Democrats - and the Conservatives, for that matter - actually have scraps about what their parties stand for.

It seems the recent firings at The New VI may not have been entirely about cost-cutting. We're hearing that the Victoria television station is already in the process of hiring four reporters and two producers. Earlier, CHUM Ltd. British Columbia vice-president Brad Phillips told us the 29 staff reductions at the station were permanent. New VI station manager Richard Gray didn't return calls from Public Eye on Friday to discuss the rumoured staff postings.

The temperature may be rising on Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland. But that's not the only thing that's got the chattering classes all hot and bothered. On Monday, Premier Gordon Campbell is scheduled to make an announcement in Vancouver. According to two senior and very reliable provincial government insiders, that event has something to do with post-secondary eduction (possibly adding extra seats at the University of British Columbia). But rumours (or more likely hopes) continue to abound that Premier Gordon Campbell will actually be announcing personnel changes at the West Annex. And that means it's once again time to be play everyone's favourite guessing game: is Martyn Brown, the premier's chief of staff leaving? Bets anyone?

The jockeying for provincial New Democrat nominations has officially begun. The party's Nanaimo constituency association in Nanaimo was the first to have its nomination meeting date approved by the party. But others are on the way. Powell River-Sunshine Coast is looking for a green light in October and Surrey-Newton wants to have their meeting in early September.

Realtor Richard Hughes' plan to once again run as the provincial New Democrat candidate in Malahat-Juan de Fuca has fallen victim to a lawsuit. Earlier, we reported a Cobblestone compositing company had alledged, as part of a lawsuit against Mr. Hughes, that the former Cowichan Valley Regional District director tried to hit the firm up for kickbacks. Mr. Hughes has denied any wrongdoing. But, in an email sent to supporters two days ago, he acknowledged those allegations would prevent him from campaigning in the next election. However, that's good news for Premier Dan Miller's chief of staff John Horgan, who has been considering seeking a nomination in Malahat-Juan de Fuca.

The Insurance Corporation of British Columbia has become a political football that's being tossed between Finance Minister Gary Collins and Solicitor General Rich Coleman. The understanding among senior bureaucrats at the insurer is that Minister Collins wants to privatize the corporation. But his plays are being blocked by Solicitor General Coleman, who is reportedly a fan of public auto insurance (or, at the very least, the money it rakes in). The solicitor general is also rumoured to be positioning himself for a run at the party leadership in case Gordon Campbell steps aside.

Today, fighting to be heard above the whizzing blenders and clashing coffee mugs at Caffe Fantastico, Victoria councillor Rob Fleming confirmed rumours he had earlier denied and announced he would be running for the provincial New Democrat nomination in Victoria-Hillside. Mr. Fleming was introduced by fellow councillor Dean Fortin as, "One of the new breed of New Democrats (read: moderate) that we need."

It looks like Solicitor General Rich Coleman wants to be more than British Columbia's top cop. Last week, Georgia Straight columnist Bill Tieleman reported Mr. Coleman, the most prominent provincial Liberal meat-eater in cabinet, "is putting together a 'just in case' leadership team for the possibility that Campbell resigns before the May 17, 2005, election." And now, senior party members tell us the solicitor general, who is known as the government's resident fix-it-man, just so happens to be one of their biggest fundraisers - spreading his loot and lending his presence to constituency associations across the province. Astute readers will remember that, prior to becoming premier, Glen Clark was also known as a fix-it-man and one of the New Democrat's biggest fundraisers, along with cabinet ministers Dan Miller and Moe Sihota.

David Anderson's jihad against Prime Minister Paul Martin and his cronies, who he blames for being demoted from cabinet, has begun. Speaking with Times Colonist reporter Cindy Harnett, the Victoria MP told her, "I was known as an outspoken MP when I was a backbencher and I see no reason to be any different now." Which kind of explains why Mr. Anderson informed Vancouver Sun staffer Peter O'Neil that the prime minister can "kiss goodbye" federal Liberal seats in British Columbia if the government lifts its ban on West coast offshore oil and gas drilling. And that outspokeness isn't letting up. Today, Mr. Anderson is reportedly handing out interviews like a drunken sailor. Maybe now the Martinites wish they had given him a patronage position?

It appears the recently dethroned Lord David of Anderson won't be receiving a patronage appointment anytime soon - and not just because of the controversial comments he made today in The Vancouver Sun and The Times Colonist. According to the party rumour mill, the prime minister's principle secretary Francis Fox telephoned Mr. Anderson on Sunday night and asked him to voluntarily step down from cabinet, making room for members of Paul Martin's British Columbia dream team (which, evidently, includes once and current underperformer Raymond Chan). The Victoria MP refused and was told his services at the big table wouldn't be required anyway. Moreover, he shouldn't he expect a pork plum until after the next election - and only if the Liberals win a majority government (something about optics and political realities). At which point much hissing and pissing ensued before the conversation abruptly ended.

The provincial New Democrat's Nanaimo "mafia" is electing a new godfather. Public Eye has learned the harbour city constituency association's nomination date has been set for September 19. The two contenders: party leadership candidate and ex-Parksville-Qualicum MLA Leonard Krog and British Columbia Ferry and Marine Workers' Union local president Richard Goode. Mr. Krog, the party's former caucus chair, should win the nomination - unless Mr. Goode's Website scares him off. That site has a random quotes section featuring some statements (presumably endorsed by the candidate) that sound threatening or just downright bizarre. Examples include: "I'm trying to die correctly, but it's very difficult, you know;" "When the sword of rebellion is drawn, the sheath should be thrown away;" and "Friends are like fiddle strings, they must not be screwed too tight."

On Thursday at 2:00, Victoria city councillor Rob Fleming will be making a "community" announcement about "government issues" with a possible provincial connection. A senior party member told us yesterday the announcement would declassify one of the provincial New Democrat's worst-kept secrets: Mr. Fleming's much-discussed plan to seek a party nomination in Victoria-Hillside. Mr. Fleming, who will likely be challenged by former MLA Steve Orcherton, denied that rumour but told Public Eye to show up anyway saying, "If nothing else, you'll get a good coffee out of it." The event will be held at Caffe Fantastico, a popular coffee shop in Victoria-Hillside.

The Indo-Canadian community is just going to love this: today, Prime Minister Paul Martin appointed Richmond MP Raymond Chan as the minister of state for multiculturalism. Astute readers will remember that Mr. Chan is the same man who, during his nomination battle, told The Vancouver Sun in a taped conversation that, "The Chinese community is very different from the Indo-Canadian community...The Chinese community are much more objective. No one can force them, or lure them, or cheat them into signing a (Liberal) membership form." The once and current cabinet minister has denied ever making that statement.

As we reported yesterday, Victoria MP David Anderson has been kicked out of cabinet. Now insiders are saying it will be a matter of months before Mr. Anderson resigns his seat to pick a plum from the patronage tree. And, according to the federal Liberal rumour mill, yet another name has been added to the list of would-be successors: professional board member Linda Petch.

On Saturday, Vancouver Sun staffers Jeff Lee and Doug Alexander reported the Law Society of British Columbia and the federal Justice Department were looking into allegations of overbilling at a Lobay Dennison Beaubier, a Nanaimo law partnership. The society and the federal government have fingered Shane Dennison, a criminal prosecution specialist, as the lawyer responsible for the alleged overbillings, which mostly involved drug prosecution work. Seventeen paragraphs into the piece, Messrs. Lee and Alexander mention that Mr. Dennisson also happens to be president of the Nanaimo-Alberni Liberal riding association. But what they didn't report is that there's an even bigger Grit fish working at that firm: David Lobay.

Victoria MP David Anderson isn't the only one getting the bum's rush from cabinet. Privy Council President Denis Coderre, Justice Minister Irwin Cotler and Citizenship and Immigration Minister Judy Sgro are rumoured to be checking out of their cushy ministerial offices. Those receiving happier news tomorrow are said to include Tony Valeri, who is being moved from transportation to become the Liberal's house leader, and Stephane Dion, who makes it back into cabinet by getting Mr. Anderson's old environment portfolio.

Public Eye has learned Victoria MP David Anderson will not be reappointed to cabinet tomorrow. That means Richmond MP Raymond Chan is almost guaranteed a spot at the big table. The latest rumours also have ex-forest company chief executive officer and Vancouver Kingsway MP David Emerson in industry and former premier and Vancouver South MP Ujjal Dosanjh in health, with Mr. Emerson being appointed British Columbia's political minister. Vancouver Quadra MP Stephen Owen, who was most recently the public works and government services minister, will get something of a demotion and assume responsibility for western economic diversification and sports. And Esquimalt-Juan de Fuca MP Keith Martin is being rewarded for crossing the floor by being made parliamentary secretary to the minister of national defence.

The depopulation of the public affairs bureau continues. Earlier, we reported finance communications director Karen Johnston and health services and planning communications manager Suzanne Germain had left the bureau. And now Public Eye has learned Marylou Wakefield and Tamara Armstrong are doing the same thing.

Concerned citizens have informed us that provincial government event coordinator Kevin Grandia, a former ministerial assistant who has a reputation for being the public affairs bureau's "event guru," is abandoning his disciples. Mr. Grandia has been responsible for managing many of Premier Gordon Campbell's centre-stage announcements. He also reportedly has a good working relationship with the premier's deputy chief of staff Lara Dauphinee and was expected to play a prominent role in the upcoming election (which, by the looks of it, is already underway). But apparently that promise/threat wasn't enough to keep Mr. Grandia, once and current Richmond MP Raymond Chan's former constituency assistant, from breaking chief of staff Martyn Brown's heart and going back to work for his old boss. According to federal Liberals, Mr. Grandia is likely gunning for a job in the ministers' regional office in Vancouver.

Public Eye is going on vacation until July 19. Posting will be sporadic until then. But, as always, feel free to email us with any tips you may have.

The office of the comptroller general may be investigating a serious irregularity in the Columbia Basin Trust's financial statements, according to sources inside and outside the provincial government. The trust is an agency, partially controlled by government appointees, responsible for the disbursement a portion of the revenue earned by hydroelectric power projects in the Columbia Basin to nearby communities. As best as we can tell, the alleged irregularity involves large contracts ($1.5 million is the figure being batted around) that were awarded to a private company but not recorded in the trust's statements. The awarding of those contracts may also have involved a conflict of interest.

So where will self-described "girl reporter" Pia Shandel land now that her roost at The New VI has been incinerated? Public Eye makes no promises, but there's always chance she'll try for a position with the provincial government's public affairs bureau. After all, about a year ago, Ms. Shandel had informal discussions with government staffers about how best she could serve the lord and master of the West Annex (we're talking about Premier Gordon Campbell, not his chief of staff Martyn Brown). The possibility of a communications position was discussed. But, in the end, a decision was made to leave Ms. Shandel right where she was.

Looks like the axe has fallen faster and harder than anyone at The New VI expected. Station staffers had thought personnel and programming changes wouldn't occur until September. But, today, the suits at the CHUM Ltd. mothership announced the euphemistic and permanent "reduction" of 29 full and part time positions, effective immediately - a move that will save the station $1.4 million annually. Those reductions include well-known columnist Norman Spector, former provincial New Democrat cabinet minister Moe Sihota and political specialist Pia Shandel.

The phony war to determine who wins the provincial New Democrat nomination in Victoria-Hillside continues. A senior party member says former MLA Steve Orcherton, who will likely be running against Victoria city councillor Rob Flemming, has been swelling his voting ranks by recruiting Hospital Employees' Union members who are upset (aren't they always?) about the B.C. Federation of Labour's decision to backdown from plans to launch a general strike.

Mustel Research Group Ltd. and Ipsos-Reid Corp. are on a collision course. Both polling firms have provincial voting intention and leadership approval numbers in the can and are set to release them sometime soon (possibly this week, according to the rumour mill). So the race will be on to see who can crunch, analyze and get them out first. But the big question is what will those numbers be. No answers were forthcoming. But according to Ipsos-Reid vice-president of public affairs Kyle Braid, "We know British Columbians are feeling more positive about the economy. The real question is whether they will give credit to the B.C. Liberals for that or whether all the other things they have been complaining and anxious about are going to override that, including a very personal impression of the premier."

Deborah Bowman's tenure as the communications director for children and family development may be coming up for review. Insiders at the legislature and the public affairs bureau say the minister's office has had a somewhat rocky relationship with Ms. Bowman. And, according to the rumour mill, there have been suggestions about replacing her with acting education communications director Ron Norman. Ms. Bowman, who is close friends with Community Aboriginal and Women's Services Minister Murray Coell and married to former local morning radio personality Barry Bowman, reportedly had a good relationship with Attorney General Geoff Plant while she was communications director at the treaty negotiations office. She was one of the provincial Liberal's highest-profile private sector communication hires.

Yes, we know the next federal election is probably two years away. But it could also be six months around the corner. And that explains why some New Democrat organizers are already looking around for someone...anyone...who can ensure Comrade David Turner doesn't run again in Victoria. According to one campaigner, the party might have won the riding if they had a "woman rather than a goateed man" on the ballot. The campaigner was too polite to say so, but Public Eye is pretty sure there were more problems with Mr. Turner then his facial hair. And who's going to make those problems (and the twice-defeated candidate) go away?

Monday Magazine calendar editor Adrienne Mercer, who also writes news and feature articles covering provincial and municipal issues, is taking a permanent summer vacation. After spending two years working for Victoria's alternative weekly, Ms. Mercer is leaving at the end of the month for a public relations job at the Nanaimo regional district. Her position will be filled by Bill Stuart, who has been subbing for reporter Andrew MacLeod while he's on maternity leave.

This morning, Globe and Mail staffers Jane Taber and Campbell Clark reported, "The view inside the Liberal Party was that Mark Marissen was its star organizer for his savvy B.C. campaign work that helped gain seats and solidify the Liberal base. This, after (Prime Minister Paul) Martin caused resentment by appointing some candidates, including the party's B.C. president, Bill Cunningham. He won (emphasis added) the Burnaby-Douglas riding that had been held for 25 years by New Democrat MP Svend Robinson." Translation: Mr. Marissen is even better at post-election campaigning - so much so that he's actually managed to grab the Liberals an extra seat in British Columbia after all the votes have been counted.

New VI station manager Richard Gray won't be opening up Pandora's Box (the building headquartering City TV's Victoria outpost) anytime soon. Earlier rumours that Mr. Gray would be making immediate personnel and programming changes turned out to be false. Instead, a station insider says those changes will take place in September. No word yet on what will happen to The New VI's magazine shows, such as EnviroMental, which some have suggested could be on the chopping block.

What happens if you can't get a federal nomination? Evidently, in the case of Greater Victoria School Board chairwoman Charlie Beresford, you go looking for a provincial one. Ms. Beresford, who lost the New Democrat federal nomination fight in Victoria to former mayor David Turner, is rumoured to be considering a run in Oak Bay-Gordon Head. That would put her in competition with popular Oak Bay councillor and former party leadership candidate Nils Jensen. Earlier, there had been some discussions about having a party mucky muck meet with Ms. Beresford and convince her to sit the race out. But so far that hasn't happened. And that could mean big trouble for Mr. Jensen, who doesn't have the genealogical connection to Tommy Douglas needed to win a competitive New Democrat nomination fight.

Bi-jurisdictional New Democrat operative John Horgan may have gotten some inadvertent help in his attempt to become the party's provincial candidate in Malahat-Juan de Fuca. It turns out his nearest rival, realtor Richard Hughes (who ran in the last election), has run into some very serious legal troubles. On Saturday, Times Colonist staffer Ian Dutton reported a Cobble Hill compositing company was suing the Cowichan Valley Regional District and several past and present directors for $100 million - including Mr. Hughes.

A senior federal Liberal in Ottawa says Vancouver Quadra MP Stephen Owen won't be British Columbia's political minister, as Public Eye had earlier theorized. In fact, he won't even be in cabinet, according to the source. And neither will Victoria MP David Anderson, who is rumoured to have been personally promised a ministerial appointment by Prime Minister Paul Martin if he ran for re-election. Instead, the list of British Columbia's cabinet members will include Vancouver Kingsway MP David Emerson and those allied with chief party organizer Mark Marissen: ex-cabinet minister Raymond Chan, representing Richmond, and former New Democrat premier Ujjal Dosanjh, representing Vancouver South. Mr. Dosanjh will also be the province's political minister - a move sure to have some provincial Liberals self-medicating.

An advanced copy of this month's edition of BC Political Insider, obtained exclusively by Public Eye, provides some insight into what went down at the provincial Liberal's recent Harrison Hot Springs caucus retreat. According to newsletter co-founder and former Grit communications director Ian Jessop, "Liberal MLAs were told...that the government has to 'simplify' its message to voters. In order to do that, the party has been conducting a series of focus groups to get an idea of what the public thinks of certain messaging. In his presentation to MLAs, Chief of Staff Martyn Brown reported that focus groups do not accept the phrase, 'The province has turned the corner,' but they do accept the statement that, 'The province is turning the corner.' The distinction being that British Columbians are not quite ready to buy into the belief that the worst is over and there's nothing but good times ahead."

CKNW legislative reporter Sean Leslie has just filed a story reporting that provincial ministerial assistant Marshall Smith, 32, was arrested yesterday by Victoria police in the so-called Red Zone, an area frequented by drug dealers and prostitutes. The charge: possession for the purpose of trafficking. Police allege he was found with a saleable amount of crystal meth, a scale, a wad of cash and a radio scanner. Public Eye has learned Mr. Smith, who previously worked for former Community Aboriginal and Women's Services Minister Ted Nebbeling and former Minister of State for Immigration and Multicultural Services Gulzar Cheema, has been on a leave of absence since June 8 to seek treatment for a substance abuse problem.

Advisors at the very highest levels of the provincial government are rumoured to be preparing a statement regarding the actions of a ministerial assistant who may or may not still be working for the Liberals. CKNW legislative reporter Sean Leslie is also said to be investigating. Further information as this story develops.

Federal Liberals in this province have a new game to play when they're not slitting each other's throats. It's called "let's guess who British Columbia's next political minister will be." David Anderson was the most recent officeholder. But the Victoria MP went off the reservation during the election, running against his party to win. And that makes it unlikely Prime Minister Paul Martin will reappoint him.

Ex-University of British Columbia president David Strangway isn't the only one planning on starting up a private university. Public Eye has exclusively learned former University of Victoria president David Strong is considering turning Blanshard Elementary School, which was recently closed due to provincial government funding cuts, into a private university (possibly focused on training business executives). A capital city insider tells us a proposal from Mr. Strong has been submitted and discussed by Greater Victoria school trustees at an in-camera meeting. Among those expected to oppose Mr. Strong's idea: former New Democrat MLA and party traditionalist Steve Orcherton's wife Peggy and several other left-leaning trustees.

Times Colonist columnist Jody Patterson, who comments on issues both local and provincial, is voluntarily leaving Victoria's daily newspaper to become executive director of the Prostitutes Empowerment Education and Resource Society. Ms. Patterson started working as a reporter for the Colonist in 1989. She became the city editor in 1993, assistant managing editor in 1995 and managing editor in 1996. That was followed by a stint as the newspaper's editorial page editor in 1997, before she became a full-time columnist the following year. No word yet on the reason for her departure, which becomes official at the end of the month.

Over in Esquimalt-Juan de Fuca, no one seems sure whether New Democrat candidate and Camosun College instructor Randall Garrison will make another run against incumbent Liberal Keith Martin. But his communications advisor John Horgan, is sniffing around for a provincial nomination. A well-placed party member says Mr. Horgan, who was Premier Dan Miller's chief of staff, is considering a run in Malahat-Juan de Fuca and looking for endorsements from New Democrat mucky-mucks. But, even with those kind words, he'll be facing an uphill battle against realtor Richard Hughes, who was the New Democrat candidate in that riding during the last election and is believed to have a lock on its constituency association.

The Times Colonist may have endorsed Victoria Conservative candidate Logan Wenham as, "a bright light in the (election) campaign - he is young, articulate and devoted to the Tory cause." But that doesn't change the fact his predecessor, Victoria lawyer Bruce Hallsor, performed eight percentage points better, even though he was up against the same opponents: Liberal cabinet minister David Anderson and New Democrat former mayor David Turner. Nevertheless, Conservative party members say Mr. Wenham - who also distinguished himself by having the funkiest hairstyle in the campaign - still plans on running in the next election (which may be less than two years away). But that will only happen if he can beat off a challenge from former Oak Bay councilor and 1993 Progressive Conservative candidate Faith Collins.