Guess who’s the Olympic minister again?
Yes, Colin Hansen. The finance minister. He gave the reins to the Olympic Games Secretariat to rookie MLA Mary McNeil on June 9, 2009 — less than a month after the Liberals’ election win and six weeks before announcing the Harmonized Sales Tax would be forced on British Columbians on July 1, 2010.
On June 30 — the eve of the HST — Premier Gordon Campbell returned the OGS to Hansen’s hands by way of an order-in-council that was not publicized. I found out when a Freedom of Information clerk told me that the Ministry of Healthy Living’s Olympic records were transferred to Finance.
So the high huckster of the hated HST is now in charge of overseeing the wind-down of the government agency responsible for the Games and VANOC.
VANOC hasn’t published financial information since December, in violation of a clause in the Multi-Party Agreement of 2002. See sections 4.4 and 26.1 It’s supposed to issue a final report this fall.
After VANOC dealt with a recession for which it was not prepared, it held its hand out to governments because sponsors were cutting budgets and tightening belts. Ultimately any red ink is the responsibility of provincial taxpayers.
Now, is it starting to become clear why the HST happened in the former host province?
News and views on Vancouver 2010 (and beyond) from Bob Mackin.
It takes all kinds to make a world.............................................................
憤怒，是片刻的瘋狂。..................................................
脾氣與嘴巴不好，就算心地再好，也不算好人~~~..................................................
我真心在追求我的夢想時，每一天都是繽紛的。因為我知道每一個小時都是實現理想 的一部份。..................................................
我對自己的信心已超越別人對我的評價................................................