Basi-Virk Special Prosecutor Bill Berardino has won a landmark appeal in the Supreme Court of Canada this morning when the court overturned two BC lower court rulings on the issue of secret witness testimony in the BC Rail corruption case.

The Supreme Court of Canada's decision means testimony about why a police informer must have his or her identity protected will take place with defence counsel, media and the public all excluded - leaving only trial judge Anne MacKenzie and the Special Prosecutor team present in BC Supreme Court. Read more…

The New Democratic Party wants to know why the CEO and president of B.C. Rail continues to be paid $500,000 a year six years after the government sold most of the Crown corporation's operations.

“They may have a miniature train set in the boardroom, but you've got four executive officers making $1.2 million—no trains,” said Juan de Fuca MLA John Horgan in the legislature. Read more…

The most anticipated decision in the BC Rail corruption case of David Basi, Bob Virk and Aneal Basi will come this Thursday at 6:45 a.m. BC time from the Supreme Court of Canada.

The Court has announced today that it will release its ruling on Special Prosecutor Bill Berardino's appeal of two BC lower court decisions on the issue of a secret witness and how his or her testimony should be handled. Read more…

British Columbia finance minister Colin Hansen said he disagrees with B.C. Ferry Services Inc.'s CEO David Hahn's attack on a finance ministry report that found, among other things, that Hahn is overpaid. Read more…

Three advocacy groups have co-signed a letter to Premier Gordon Campbell asking that B.C. Ferry Services Inc. be covered by freedom of information legislation.

“It is time to restore credibility and accountability to the governance of B.C. Ferries,” says the letter from B.C. Freedom of Information and Privacy Association executive director Darrell Evans, B.C. Civil Liberties Association policy director Micheal Vonn and Canadian Taxpayers Federation B.C. director Maureen Bader. Read more…

In her review of the governance of British Columbia Ferry Services Inc., comptroller general Cheryl Wenezenki-Yolland noted the family ties between the ferry company's board and the ferry commission office.

The commission regulates the company. “The Deputy Commissioner is a brother of a BCFS Board Director,” said Wenezenki-Yolland's 97-page report. Read more…

TransLink directors should have acted earlier to avoid ongoing deficits, B.C. Ferry Services Inc. is paying its executives more than double the going rate for heads of larger public bodies and the government should consider forming a Transportation Commission to oversee both, according to a finance ministry report released today.

“In both organizations, the governance models should be strengthened to ensure that they meet their public service mandates while protecting the interests of users and taxpayers,” comptroller general Cheryl Wenezenki-Yolland's 97-page report said. Read more…

Finance ministry reviews of TransLink and B.C. Ferry Services Inc. were to be done by the end of September, but the minister who requested the reviews said last week she remains unaware of the findings even though some of her staff have seen them. Read more…

A former lobbyist who is now a key Crown witness in the B.C. Legislature raid corruption trial has opened a new business providing communications and public affairs advice, including "monitoring the provincial legislative agenda". Read more…

VICTORIA - The B.C. government has introduced legislation to ban the use of cellphones while behind the wheel.

Six other provinces already have such legislation in place. Read more…

The man pushing the mega-yacht marina proposed for Victoria's inner harbour is married to the financial agent for one of five third-party advertisers that sprung up to support cabinet minister Gary Lunn in the last federal election. Read more…

Using political insiders to build support among cabinet ministers for the proposed mega-yacht marina in Victoria is “disgusting”, said former Victoria mayor Peter Pollen.

“It's so politically fraudulent,” he said, noting there is a proper public procedure to follow to get the marina approved. “The promoters are working the members . . . behind the scenes. It's just outrageous.” Read more…

The 2010 Winter Olympics begin Feb. 12, but road closures start Nov. 1.

That’s when 1st Avenue from Quebec Street stretching to the Cambie Bridge and the seawall outside the Vancouver Olympic Village go behind fences, according to the updated VANOC transport plan published Wednesday. Read more…

Opponents of the Gateway project say it's the reason why Surrey Council is considering putting a road through Bear Creek Park -- and why it shouldn't. Read more…

An organizer of an upcoming Gabriola Island art tour says she is unhappy about British Columbia Ferry Services Inc. putting portable toilets on the deck of the Quinsam ferry this week.

“B.C. Ferries adds to the Quinsam's 'third world chic' by closing the washrooms on one of the busiest weekends of the year and gives us porta-potties on the deck,” wrote Gabriola Arts Council president Kathy Ramsey in an e-mail. Read more…

UBCM delegates received a hopeful vision for the future of BC’s transit system from Mike Davis, Victoria Manager of Planning and Scheduling for BC Transit today that involves integrated communities that are socially, financially, and environmentally sustainable.

“We’ve been building for the automobile for 30 or 40 years. If that created great quality of life, we should see good examples of it all over the continent, and we don’t,” he said, quoting famous international planning consultant Gil Penalosa. Read more…

NDP leader Carole James called on the provincial government today to cancel the corporate tax cuts scheduled to come in over the next two years to offset Premier Gordon Campbell's carbon tax -- which she previously campaigned against as a "gas tax."

“…today I am calling on the provincial government to cancel the corporate tax cuts scheduled to come in over the next two years related to the carbon tax, and put that money into a Provincial Green Fund for transit improvements and green initiatives across the province,” said James to the delegates of the Union of BC Municipalities convention. Read more…

British Columbia Ferry Services Inc. is getting accolades for moving towards sewage treatment, but in at least one case the provincial government-owned company appears to be overstating the state of its system. Read more…

In the wake of hospital closures across the province, improved public transportation in rural BC communities is more than just an environmental issue, said the Mayor of Sparwood today at the Union of BC Municipalities annual conference.

“I think that rural British Columbia, for the most part because of the restructuring of the health system… needs to rethink how they do things,” Mayor David Wilks told the Tyee after speaking to a roomful of delegates about championing sustainable transportation in small and mid-sized communities. Read more…

Money meant to stimulate the British Columbia economy as part of the Gateway project will be going to workers from Alberta, according to a letter a union local sent to provincial ministers.

“The Gateway project was intended to be part of the B.C. stimulus package, yet wages and related income taxes will be reported in Alberta by Alberta workers,” said the letter from Doug McKay, the business manager for local 258 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. Read more…