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What good will a city inquiry into the leak do?

November 27th, 2008 · 10 Comments

I called up my various friends and acquaintances who work in investigative reporting across the land, as well as checking with some local media lawyers on this issue. I’ve posted the good bits from what I found on my CTV blog here.

Categories: Uncategorized

  • Dawn Steele

    I hope your colleague stands firm in protecting his sources, whoever they may be – they did Vancouver voters a great big favour!

    The enquiry I want to see is the one into why we need to give the developer another $100 million dollars and just how secure that “loan” would really be in the current turbulent times.

    After the massive BCE deal fell through yesterday (thanks to the totally unexpected bombshell from their beancounters that it would have left them with more liabilities than assets) one has to wonder just what might have been worrying the elusive Ms. Lo.

  • Wagamuffin

    Yes, yes, we know the intelligensia find it quaint that we out here on the Left Coast care about such things, but we do.

    Gary Mason should protect his source. The police should do their jobs. The new council should decide whether anything or nothing should be done in camera in the future. Any of you putting a wager down on that one?

    I am very happy to hear who knew what,when and who leaked what and why.

    If someone wants to lay it all out on the table, go right ahead. Please.

  • TM

    Mason should absolutely protect his sources and the police should respect that.

    What good would an inquiry do? Absolutely none, IMHO, other than spend money we don’t have on something ridiculous. Move on, people.

  • Max

    the inquiry is the NPA’s equivalent of a corporate poison pill following a hostile takeover – tax dollars will be expended with no measurable outcome beyond the size of a lawyer’s paycheque

    and people wonder why voter turn out is low in vancouver

  • George

    Its such a blatantly obvious diversion tactic its a joke, except there may be real victims here such as Estelle Lo what with Cadman calling for her severance to be withheld. In addition, it sends a message out to all taxpayers that City Hall and City Council don’t give a damn what you think.
    They do not have to tell you the details of the $100 Million loan.
    They do not have to tell you about a Director of Finance resigning prior to an election when information has already leaked about Council secretly voting to “loan” $100 Million of taxpayer money.
    They can waste even more taxpayer money hiring lawyers to investigate leaks with NO DTERMINED BUDGET for said investigation!

  • Blaffergassted

    An investigation by the ‘political winners’ of this mess has bad optics.

    Is it:

    1) a shallow attempt to cover up what really happened, or

    2) an attempt to find out why they had such stupid blind luck?

    I’m guessing the former. And let’s hope they don’t spend too much money on this.

  • A. G. Tsakumis

    Pithy comments, all…..

    Of course, Gary will protect his source and if there are people out there who haven’t noticed that the press have been slowly deconstructed by the steady stream of inquiries and threats of lawsuits, then have a second look…

    This started some years ago with Basi Virk, since so many high profile pols and pol wannbes were involved.

    Now, they might try to shake down Gary?? Insanity.

    The key here is Estelle Lo. She must have signed a mutual release, which will have included a privacy clause, to protect her previous work. Unfortunately, that will impede any investigation as she can’t talk.

    The only way this gets resolved is further leaks from anyone who really cares about this city.

    I don’t really give a rat’s derriere about who stole the documents that ended up in BC Lee’s office.

    I want to know how this $100M was structured from the beginning, meaning, from when the deal was first cut and why. The extension of $100M is simply a formality of a previously structured deal, where the city clearly wants to avoid being the developer and just the bank.

    So, let’s here it, godamn it…why have the citizens of Vancouver become bankers???

  • independent mind

    I still find it hard to believe any councillor leaked the document, as they all voted for it.

    Now Vision Vancouver certainly capitalized after it was made public, but I believe that the resignation of Estelle Lo gave them that chance. No councillor has admitted knowing about Lo’s status before the leak hit the paper.

    So all one is left with is a senior staff person must have done it. As for the motive we may never know.

  • Travis

    The protection of sources has indeed been a hot topic of late. It never ceases to amaze me how ignorant the public can be about this issue. Many think that if something is questioned it has to be in the public interest and therefore has to be exposed. Take the L.A. Times example. Before the U.S. election, a certain vice-presidential candidate made a mention that a certain presidential-candidate was at a dinner with yet another “terrorist”. The L.A. Times broke that story in April and protected the source becauase that was the only way they could publish the information. Everyone cried foul and chalked it up to the liberal media protecting their candidate. A few months later no one really cares. I think it will be the same with this situation.

  • Blaffergassted

    Vision voted for this thing.
    And Vision benefited from the release of the info.

    Seems pretty straightforward to me.