CORRECTION: It was the criminal justice branch of the AG that confirmed that an investigation was under way. The RCMP didn't comment until after the story broke. Nevertheless, it is the act of the RCMP conducting an investigation that creates the grounds for a demand to resign. The issue is when the resignation should occur. Apparently Les thought it sufficiently serious so as to tender his resignation, or perhaps there was no choice once knowledge of the investigation was public.

March 31, 2008

Trial by Investigation - Les' Saga

"What did you know, when did you know it, and how many people knew?" are questions that will likely take up most of the first week back in the Legislature during question period for BC's MLAs. The resignation of a cabinet minister is always big news, especially when it is the Solicitor General.

Vancouver Province columnist Michael Smyth wrote in his March 30th column: "The Les bombshell follows the earlier guilty plea by Ken Dobell, Campbell's right-hand man, on a provincial lobbying charge. And the B.C. Rail corruption case, which resulted in the infamous 2003 police raid on the legislature, is scheduled to go to trial later this year."

The Opposition will no doubt be asking questions that "StoneWally" will answer by saying that the case is under investigation and, therefore, inappropriate for comment.

It is alleged that the investigation of John Les was made public when a CBC reporter posed questions. The customary response is: "We neither confirm nor deny ongoing investigations, and have no comment with respect to your question." After nine months of silence the RCMP chose to comment and thereby destroy Les' career, at least for the time being. Why didn't they do that nine months earlier, or nine months later? The point is that the police can choose the date when they take down a politician. That is not right.

It is hard to feel sorry for John Les. The Opposition went after him for a full 30 minute Question Period on November 20th. For any of the reasons given during that Question Period, Premier Campbell should have removed Les, but he didn't. Did he remain seated when he could have spared Les from further attacks because he knew that Les was under investigation? Campbell claims he didn't know about the investigation. Maybe it is a coincidence that he was very tardy in supporting a key minister who only now is revealed to be under investigation.

Compare Les' situation to the Basi-Virk case. Since the December 2003 raid on the Legislature, the BC Rail corruption case, their lives have been on hold. Like Basi and Virk, Les could find his career on hold for years while the police and special prosecutor plod through the allegations. No one should have to tolerate that kind of abuse; guilty until proven innocent is not the way our justice system should operate.

In the time-honoured tradition of stepping down, Les resigned from his position as Solicitor General. It is time to raise the bar higher. The police should not have the power to take down a cabinet minister. When they do, and are ultimately proven wrong, there should be a high price to pay. The NDP Opposition should focus their questions on the credibility of the police and their habit of interfering in politics, rather than just asking what Campbell and Oppal knew and when they knew it.