Revelations emerging from the pre-trial disclosure motion in R. v. Basi et al bring back memories of Liberal MLA Paul Reitsma, who resigned in 1998 after it was revealed that he had penned letters to the editor using the nom de plume of Warren Betanko”, and prompted a series of questions in the legislature today, including this gem:

M. Farnworth: I didn’t mention the term “courthouse.” I didn’t mention the term “trial.” I didn’t even ask if these employees came from the firm of Haldeman, Ehrlichman, Dean and Mitchell. What I asked, Hon. Speaker…

There’s a pattern in this government of senior staff misrepresenting themselves in the public. We’ve seen it with Prem Vinning, we’ve seen it with the Deputy Premier’s assistant, and now we are asking questions about staff in the Premier’s office.
So my question once again to the Premier is this: can he assure this House, can he assure the taxpayers of British Columbia that senior communications staff in his office are not working on blatant, partisan media manipulation?

All questions in this vein were met with a similar response: “no comment, the matter is before the courts”.

It is more than a bit troubling to this writer that the government of this province may employ people who resort to juvenile tactics to manipulate the media and the public. For more on this, check out thetyee.ca or billtielemanblogspot.com.

It is becoming ubiquitous; the slogan, “The Best Place on Earth” is starting to appear everywhere-on provincial government letterhead, on its website and soon, on special licence plates issued by Olympic sponsor ICBC. How, and more importantly, why, did this happen?

The answer to “how?” is obvious; like most every B.C. government initiative, the change to the provincial motto is undoubtedly due to one of Premier Gordon Campbell’s whims. The answer to “why?” is less evident. What was wrong with “Beautiful British Columbia” as our provincial slogan? It was certainly much better than its offensive, presumptuous and embarrassing replacement. Maybe this is the government’s subtle way of telling us that once Mr. Campbell finishes with the province the old slogan will simply no longer be accurate.

Vanoc head John Furlong (with Premier Campbell) points to the bank balance of the average British Columbian taxpayer once the 2010 Olympic circus leaves town. (But the “Best Place on Earth” licence plates will be a nice parting gift).

One of the most important voices of our time has been silenced with the passing of brilliant author Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. yesterday at the age of 84. So it goes.

Mike Farrell dropped into town last night to promote his new autobiography, “Just Call Me Mike”. He may be better known to most as B.J. Hunnicutt from M.A.S.H., but Mike Farrell also deserves recognition as a tireless campaigner against the death penalty, against the Iraq war and against the destruction of the environment, to list but a few of his causes. These are some of the things he is against, but as those who turned out to hear him speak learned, he is for the human race.

Of this I am sure; if there were more Mike Farrells the world would be a much better place.

Buy his book.

Betty Krawczyk, 78, an environmental activist, author, political candidate and great-grandmother, was today sentenced to ten months in jail for her part in a peaceful political demonstration against Olympic-related road construction activities at Eagleridge Bluffs in West Vancouver last year.

Betty Krawczyk

The judge said this: “In mitigation, Mrs. Krawczyk’s protests were not violent. She has no criminal record other than for contempt. She is 78 years old. She has contributed to society by raising children and grandchildren. ”

Although the province of British Columbia is considered a democracy governed by the rule of law, it is also a jurisdiction that has come up with a creative way of punishing political dissidents. Rather than have people charged with breaking laws enacted by their duly elected representatives, the conventional way of dealing with public disorder, the government enlists the courts to have objectionable conduct characterized as contempt of court. It does so by encouraging the use of injunctions issued in sham civil proceedings. There is no statutory punishment for contempt of court resulting from the violation of a civil injunction; it is entirely up to a judge’s discretion as to how to punish such a “contempt of court”.

In a way, it’s a relief that Ms. Krawczyk was sentenced to merely spend some 300 days in jail; the judge could have imposed any punishment available under the English common law. Theoretically, the judge could have ordered that Betty be hanged at dawn.

All glibness aside, we may really be on to something here. As the 2010 Winter Olympic Games approach, the government should prevail on the BC Supreme Court to issue injunctions restraining anyone from panhandling, being homeless, standing too long in one place, dressing inappropriately, and the like. Those who violate such court orders can then be locked up in jail for months so as not to embarrass the government when the five ring circus comes to town.

And in an ironic note…

When a group of Ms. Krawczyk’s supporters congregated in the lobby of the courthouse to protest Betty’s treatment by the court for violating its interim injunction in the Kiewit case, they were dispersed only after the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court issued a mandatory injunction ordering “any individuals blocking access and disrupting business…to immediately vacate the premises.” Presumably, anyone who ever disobeys that order will be subject to a jail sentence as well.

Here are some other things that have been enjoined by BC Supreme Court injunctions recently:

Reading a J.K. Rowling “Harry Potter” book: On Saturday, July 9, 2005, BC Supreme Court Justice Gill issued an emergency interim and interlocutory injunction restraining anyone from “displaying or reading [Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince]…prior to 12:01 a.m. local time on July 16, 2005”.

Living in one’s own house: In Atco Lumber Ltd. v. Faust, an injunction designed to stop environmental protest was set aside after local residents complained that the geographical “no go zone” in the injunction precluded them from living in their own residences!

Exceeding the speed limit on the Upper Levels Highway near Horseshoe Bay: It is not widely known, but the court injunction that was issued to Peter Kiewit Sons Co., the same injunction that landed Harriet Nahanee and Betty Krawczyk in jail, also prohibits anyone from travelling on the highway in the construction zone other than in accordance with all applicable traffic laws.

Using Harriet Nahanee’s sentencing as a sentencing standard, anyone who violated these court edicts could also have faced 14 days in the Surrey PreTrial centre, confined to a cell with dozens of real offenders.