The provincial Liberals’ powerful former campaign co-chair was repeatedly scheduled to meet with British Columbia Lottery Corp.’s president and chief executive officer between 2005 and 2007.

Patrick Kinsella, a public affairs consultant who has been accused by the provincial New Democrats of lobbying the government without registering, has long been connected with the province’s gaming industry.

But the subject of those meetings – which occasionally included the corporation’s chairs – remains a mystery.

Kinsella, who has previously denied ever lobbying the government he was instrumental in electing, didn’t return phone calls from 24 Hours.

And the corporation’s then president and chief executive officer, Vic Poleschuk, declined to comment on what he discussed with the Liberals’ former campaign co-chair.

Nor would Poleschuk comment on an email Kinsella sent to him on Sept. 7, 2005, requesting a meeting to “chat about issues of mutual interest and concern.”

“The best way to get that information – given that I am obviously out of the public sector – is to deal with the lottery (corporation) directly,” he said from his home in Kamloops.

But BCLC public relations manager Robin Cook stated the corporation was “not able to speculate on the content” of scheduled meetings between Poleschuk and Kinsella on Feb. 27, Nov. 29, 2006 and April 24, 2007. “Only those individuals would be able to provide information on the meetings.”

Nor, according to Cook, is the corporation “aware of the content” of scheduled meetings between Poleschuk, Kinsella and then chair Rick Turner on Oct. 7, and Nov. 1, 2005.

Turner, who is now ICBC’s chair, has “no recollection” of those meetings. But his successor, John McLernon, did remember a meeting between himself, Poleschuk and Kinsella on August 31, 2006.

“He advises the meeting was in fact a tour” of Great Canadian Gaming Corp.’s River Rock Casino Resort in Richmond, stated Cook. “Mr. McLernon recalls engaging in a brief conversation with Mr. Kinsella and Mr. Poleschuk. Mr. McLernon then toured the facility but does not recall if Mr. Kinsella participated.”

In an interview Great Canadian spokesman Howard Blank said, “We don’t recall any tour. I wouldn’t keep records of that.”

Blank also said he couldn’t “comment on whether people work with us or don’t work with us” – when asked about the company’s relationship with Kinsella. “That’s a privacy issue obviously.”

Under the Lobbyists Registration Act, consultant lobbyists are required to sign-up if they, for pay, communicate with an office holder in an attempt to influence government -- although there are some exceptions to that rule.

In a written statement issued in June, Kinsella’s company The Progressive Group stressed it has "confident it has consistently and correctly followed the requirements" of the act.

Sean Holman is legislative reporter for 24 Hours and publisher of Public Eye Online where versions of this also appear today.