Who went to the Preem's Prom?

Premier Christy Clark broke from tradition on June 7 with a Cabinet Naming Ceremony at Canada Place. In case you missed it, the entire 54-minute, 37-second extravaganza is available on YouTube.

Preem's Prom at the prow of Canada Place (Government of B.C.)

Normally, the members of executive council are announced the same day as they are sworn-in by the lieutenant-governor. The cabinet roster has traditionally been a well-kept secret until the swearing-in ceremony. When Lt.-Gov. Judith Guichon finally made the formal appointments on June 10 at Government House in Victoria, the identities of those pledging the three-part oath of allegiance, office and confidentiality had been known to the public for three days. 

That means the ministers were not ministers under-oath for the entire weekend. Any communication any one of them may have had with a lobbyist would have gone unreported.

So who went? That is a good question. The attendance list was not released, but the list of invitees was. See it below. I pored over the 80-page document and made some lists of my own. 

For instance, there could have been a reunion of people whose names were attached to the BC Rail  privatization scandal. There were eight key figures from the 2003 controversy on the invite list: CN chair David McLean, ex-Premier/Canadian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Gordon Campbell, lobbyist/strategist Patrick Kinsella, ex-lobbyist/Campbell aide Jamie Elmhirst, ex-BC Rail director Jim Shepard, ex-Finance Minister Gary Collins, ex-Deputy Minister/Pacific Carbon Trust chair Chris Trumpy, and ex-BC Liberal Party executive director Kelly Reichert. (No, Dave Basi and Bob Virk are not on the list.)

B.C.'s captains of industry were on the invitation list. Same with movers and shakers of the Vancouver real estate scene and holders of lucrative liquor licences. The B.C. Liberal campaign's inner-circle and some of Clark's closest friends and relatives gathered. The guest list included owners of the Vancouver Canucks, B.C. Lions, Vancouver Whitecaps and Vancouver Canadians and even some of the folks who are Liberal members but whose allegiance to the party was hidden from viewers when they appeared in that pre-campaign infomercial. (Surrounding a beaming Clark in the photo above are Ryan Beedie, Liberal MP Joyce Murray, Mayor Richard "Shutterbug" Stewart of Coquitlam, Industry Minister James Moore, federal cabinet regional affairs director Colin Metcalfe and ex-Conservative cabinet minister Stockwell Day.)

B.C. Federation of Labour's Jim Sinclair and B.C. Government and Service Employees' Union's Darryl Walker were invited. They would rather have been front-row-centre at Adrian Dix's premiership swearing-in, but that obviously didn't happen because of the Liberals' surprise win over the NDP in the May 14 election. 

Representatives of 13 industrial lobby groups, a half-dozen corporations and a federal Crown corporation donated money to fund the ceremony. How much? B.C. Trucking Association disclosed that it paid $2,500. Watch this space in the coming weeks to find out who else donated what.

Donors:

Private Forest Lands Association (Robert Bealing), Port Metro Vancouver (Alan Baydala), Microsoft (Barb Berg), Society of Notaries Public of B.C. (G.W. Wayne Braid), Eminata Group (Randy Cox), Domtar (David Cunningham), B.C. Road Builders and Heavy Construction Association (Jack Davidson), B.C. Interactive (Lance Davis), Independent Contractors and Business Association (Phil Hochstein), Clean Energy B.C. (Paul Kariya), B.C. Hotel Association (John Kearns), B.C. Real Estate Association (Jim McCaughan and Cameron Muir), B.C. Construction Association (Manley McLachlan), Happy Water (Ralph McRae), Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (Geoffrey Morrison), Rio Tinto Alcan (Richard Prokopanko), New Car Dealers’ Association of B.C. (Blair Qualey), B.C. Maritime Employers’ Association (Greg Vurdela), Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association (Mark Von Schellwitz), B.C. Trucking Association (Louise Yako).

Business Titans: 

Jimmy Pattison, Telus’s Darren Entwistle, Washington Group’s Kyle Washington, Canaccord founder Peter Brown, ex-SNC-Lavalin chair Gwyn Morgan, Lululemon founder Chip Wilson, East West Petroleum’s David Sidoo, Fiore Financial’s Frank Giustra, Belkorp chair Stuart Belkin, publisher/refinery proposer David Black, Rogers’ CEO Phil Lind, Kinder Morgan CEO Ian Anderson, Future Shop founder Hassan Khosrowshahi, and Rocky Mountaineer founder/NPA bagman Peter Armstrong.

Developers: 

Polygon’s Michael Audain, Beedie Group’s Ryan Beedie, Bosa Group’s Dale Bosa, Fairchild Group’s Thomas Fung, Ledcor’s Dave Lede, Concord Pacific’s Terry Hui, Westbank’s Ian Gillespie, “Condo King” Bob Rennie, and Wall Financial’s Peter Wall.

Pro sports franchise owners and executives:

Vancouver Canucks: Francesco, Paolo, Roberto, Luigi and Elisa Aquilini; Vancouver Canadians: Jake Kerr; B.C. Lions: Sen. David Braley, Dennis Skulsky, Wally Buono, Jamie Taras; Vancouver Whitecaps: Greg Kerfoot, John Furlong, Bob Lenarduzzi, and Rachel Lewis.

Lobbyists:

Progressive Group’s Cindy Burton, Bluestone Group’s Mark Jiles, Ascent Public Affairs' Kimanda Jarzebiak, Counterpoint Communications’ Bruce Rozenhart, Hill & Knowlton’s Steve Vander Wal, Western Policy Consultants’ Mike Bailey, Gary Ley Public Affairs' Gary Ley, Fleishman Hillard’s Anna Lilly, Canadian Pacific’s Mike LoVecchio, Earnscliffe’s Bruce Young and Adam Johnson, Guide Outfitters’ Scott Ellis, and Wazuku Advisory Group's Brad Zubyk.

Liquor licensees and food folks: 

ContainerWorld’s Dennis Chrismas, B.C. Restaurant and Foodservices’ Ian Tostenson,  Pacific Western Brewing’s Kazuko Komatsu, Cactus Club’s Richard Jaffray, Keg Restaurants' David Aisenstat, Alliance of Beverage Licensees of B.C. Ian Baillie, Earls’ Stan Fuller, Mark James Group’s Mark James, Mark Anthony Brands’ Anthony von Mandl, and White Spot Restaurants’ Warren Erhart.

Friends of the Party and/or Friends of the Premier:

Ontario import strategist Don Guy, campaign manager Mike McDonald, ex-deputy chief of staff/Quick Wins memo author Kim Haakstad, communications director Sam Oliphant, Alberta import strategist Rod Love, Government Communications deputy minister and bridesmaid Athana Mentzelopoulos (and her husband Stewart Muir), Ministry of Justice lawyer/leadership campaign volunteer director Doug Eastwood, regional director Bruce Burley, party fundraiser/new deputy chief of staff Michele Cadario, ex-Liberal MP/withdrawn MLA candidate Sukh Dhaliwal, ex-Liberal MP/cabinet minister Herb Dhaliwal, Liberal/Vision Vancouver strategist Diamond Isinger, lobbyist Steve Kukucha, pollsters/ex-assistant deputy minister Dimitri Pantazopoulos, Campaign Research principal Nick Kouvalis, Vision Vancouver director/advisor David Eaves, strategist Emile Scheffel, social media advisor Dave Teixeira, ex-Liberal leader Gordon Wilson and his wife/ex-Liberal MLA Judi Tyabji, B.C. Housing chair Judy Rogers, North Delta campaign co-manager Tim Crowhurst, Lululemon public relations/Liberal Women's Networker Erin Hochstein, Lawson Lundell lawyer Murray Campbell and wife/fellow Clark supporter/Private Career Training Institutions Agency of B.C. registrar Karin Kirkpatrick, ex-B.C. Lion Daved Benefield, strategist/gambling investor Jacee Schaefer, aide/wife of CBC reporter Stephen Smart Rebecca Scott, ex-Liberal MLA Harry Bloy, Chilliwack riding president Collin Rogers, justice reviewer/Liberal supporter Geoff Cowper, Canadian Bar Association president/Liberal supporter Dean Crawford, ex-Liberal Party of Canada B.C. president Bill Cunningham, ex-Conservative vice-president/Liberal turncoat Ben Besler, Coquitlam-Maillardville riding president Randy Paolo Rinaldo, Aga Khan Council for Canada president Malik Talib, ex-Young Liberals of Canada B.C. president/B.C. Pharmacy Association public affairs officer Coco Lefoka, ethnic outreacher Lita Nuguid, Vancouver Canucks' photographer Jeff Vinnick, CKNW sex show host Maureen McGrath, 99.3 the Fox morning drive host Jeff O'Neil, ex-Rock 101 morning drive host Bro Jake & Family, strategist Elizabeth Samuels, plus Clark's brothers Bruce and John, her ex-husband/aide Mark Marissen and son Hamish Marissen-Clark.

Allegedly average people, as seen on the Liberal election infomercial: 

Adrian Lu, Joey Lu, Jackie Hollis, David Fraser and Rick & Julie Marzolf (Also invited: "Celebrity endorsers" ex-Conservative MP Stockwell Day and Brad "Grandson of W.A.C. and Son of Bill" Bennett; Producers Don Millar and Eric Hogan).

Who went to the Preem's Prom

Exclusive: Premier's Vancouver "throne"

Feb. 15, 2011 was the last British Columbia budget of the Gordon Campbell era. And it was probably the last time under Campbell rule that reporters would access the office in Canada Place's World Trade Centre where Campbell and his cabinet work and meet when they're in downtown Vancouver.

The seventh-floor suite is near the German and Swiss consulates, but has no sign on the door. There is a combo doorbell/surveillance camera. The security measures probably stem from the Feb. 21, 2008 invasion by members of the Anti-Poverty Committee.

Those who gain entry must walk along a short corridor, past a gallery of Olympic photographs and newspaper front pages before the main door.

Hallways are riddled with framed photographs of Campbell with ex-B.C. Premier Bill Bennett, Tour de France champ Lance Armstrong, Prince Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles, Queen Elizabeth II, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and ex-Gov.-Gen. Michaelle Jean.

A photograph of Campbell greeting the Dalai Lama was once above a photograph of Campbell and Chinese president Hu Jintao. They have been rearranged and are now horizontally separated by a photograph of Campbell and ex-President Bill Clinton.

A mysterious box wrapped in yellow silk was propped up against the wall.

Campbell's office is off-limits to nosy wanderers, but the (ahem) "office" is not.

Nature did call and this time I brought my camera. The loo appeared unchanged from my previous visit during the September 2009 budget lockup.

On this day at least, it was BYOB (bring-your-own-book). It has the usual amenities, including a mirror and sink. A bottle of hand sanitizer was available.

The walls were a reminder of who's in charge (until Feb. 26) and what his pet project was.

The decor includes: a Vancouver 2010 Candidate City poster, Spirit of 2010 poster; The Province Welcoming the world in six years Olympic countdown poster; three small posters from the 2009 election campaign; a poster showing front pages of the Vancouver Sun and Globe and Mail from the Liberals' 2005 re-election; a 2003-2010 Alcan-sponsored "Grow with the Games" calendar with height measurement; panoramic photographs of the Cariboo Chilcotin and William R. Bennett Bridge.

How to spell HST: Host without the Olympic "o."

In the weeks before the 2010 Winter Olympics opened Feb. 12, a big, white box to the west of the Vancouver Convention Centre, hid something special.

I cornered Premier Gordon Campbell Feb. 8 when he unveiled a tribute to late VANOC chairman Jack Poole at the Four Host First Nations pavilion and revealed the next day that the big, white box on Jack Poole Plaza was concealing the outdoor cauldron.

Wayne Gretzky was taken, by pick-up truck, to the foot of Thurlow Street after the opening ceremony, and marked the official end of the Olympic torch relay by lighting the outdoor cauldron. About an hour later, the one inside B.C. Place Stadium was extinguished for fear that it would burn the air-supported fabric roof.

VANOC, in its haste to organize the Games, didn’t realize the plaza would become a hot spot for shutterbugs. I witnessed one fella climb the chain link barrier to get a better photo.

The excuse was that it was inside the security perimeter for the international broadcast centre. VANOC finally buckled to public pressure. The fencing was altered and a viewing deck opened, but it was still far from perfect, even during the March 12-21 Paralympics when crowds were smaller.

The Terasen Gas-sponsored cauldron burns again during the Canada Day at Canada Place festivities on July 1. The fences that remain are supposed to disappear as the edifice on Jack Poole Plaza becomes a monument to the 2010 Winter Games and their torch relays.

The official schedule shows various indoor and outdoor activities from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., a mass-singing of O Canada when the O Canada horns sound at noon, 7 p.m. Georgia Street parade, 8:30 p.m. light show on Canada Place’s soon-to-be-replaced Five Sails and the 10:30 p.m. Burrard Inlet fireworks.

No ceremony is planned to re-light the cauldron, which is supposed to burn from 10 a.m. until the conclusion of the fireworks.

The Olympic flame was lit Oct. 22 in Ancient Olympia, Greece, flown to Victoria, B.C. Oct. 30 (where it was also protested) and carried coast-to-coast-to-coast around Canada for 106 days by 12,000 people (including your humble servant). But on Canada Day, an anonymous control room operator inside the convention centre will activate the cauldron with no pomp, circumstance or fanfare.

So much for the spectacle and the so-called sacred sculpture.

But why should we be surprised? Such a ceremony would have to involve Campbell. The Premier's worst nightmare is for the anti-HST Red Bloc to show up en masse in red mittens and simultaneously rip them off to reveal one-fingered salutes on day one of the unpopular sales tax shift.

Before it was the site of the cauldron, before it was called Jack Poole Plaza, it was the scene of the Sept. 19, 2009 anti-HST rally that kicked the sales tax revolt into high gear.

Host province British Columbia is now an HST province to clean up the Olympic debt.

Hope you enjoyed the party!