Premier Michael Harcourt and the Water War Crimes
Premier Michael Harcourt and the New Democratic Party came to office in 1991 replacing what had been widely regarded as the corrupt regime of the Social Credit Party under Premiers Bill Bennett and Bill Vander Zalm
Under Mr. Harcourt's leadership, the Water War Crimes entered a new, more sinister phase.
Firstly, the violations of the Water Act, the Canada US Free Trade Agreement and the GATT, were continued by a series of unlawful Orders In Council that continued the illegal moratorium on the export of fresh water.
Secondly, Premier Harcourt’s government developed a strategy of concealment of evidence and fraud on the court in response to the lawsuit launched in the British Columbia courts by Sun Belt Water Inc. This strategy was also a violation of the “fair and equitable treatment” provisions of the NAFTA.
Thirdly, Premier Harcourt’s government developed the strategy of defeating the Sun Belt Water Inc. lawsuit in the courts by a personal attack against its Canadian lawyer, Mr. Carten, who practiced law in Comox, on Vancouver Island.
Premier Michael Harcourt resigned as premier in February 1996, as the result of a corruption scandal known as the Bingogate Scandal in which a New Democratic Party politician stole money from a charitable organization to use for political purposes.
Mr. Harcourt was never charged but the politician, David Stupich, entered a plea of guilty and was sentenced to 18 months of house arrest by a politically appointed judge of British Columbia’s Provincial Court who was specially selected by the Ministry of the Attorney General of British Columbia for that hearing.
The total sum looted was estimated to be $1 million and was never returned.
In a case that is widely regarded as fixed by insiders at the Ministry of the Attorney General of British Columbia Mr. Stupich was granted and extremely a light sentence in exchange for his agreeing to maintain his silence about other political corruption of which he was well aware of.
A member of Premier Harcourt's team was a younger man with a reputation as a political scrapper from East Vancouver named Glen Clark. When Mr. Harcourt's career came screeching to a halt in yet another scandal involving a British Columbia Premier, Glen Clark took the initiative and was soon the occupant of the Premier's Office.
Under Mr. Harcourt's leadership, the Water War Crimes entered a new, more sinister phase.
Firstly, the violations of the Water Act, the Canada US Free Trade Agreement and the GATT, were continued by a series of unlawful Orders In Council that continued the illegal moratorium on the export of fresh water.
Secondly, Premier Harcourt’s government developed a strategy of concealment of evidence and fraud on the court in response to the lawsuit launched in the British Columbia courts by Sun Belt Water Inc. This strategy was also a violation of the “fair and equitable treatment” provisions of the NAFTA.
Thirdly, Premier Harcourt’s government developed the strategy of defeating the Sun Belt Water Inc. lawsuit in the courts by a personal attack against its Canadian lawyer, Mr. Carten, who practiced law in Comox, on Vancouver Island.
Premier Michael Harcourt resigned as premier in February 1996, as the result of a corruption scandal known as the Bingogate Scandal in which a New Democratic Party politician stole money from a charitable organization to use for political purposes.
Mr. Harcourt was never charged but the politician, David Stupich, entered a plea of guilty and was sentenced to 18 months of house arrest by a politically appointed judge of British Columbia’s Provincial Court who was specially selected by the Ministry of the Attorney General of British Columbia for that hearing.
The total sum looted was estimated to be $1 million and was never returned.
In a case that is widely regarded as fixed by insiders at the Ministry of the Attorney General of British Columbia Mr. Stupich was granted and extremely a light sentence in exchange for his agreeing to maintain his silence about other political corruption of which he was well aware of.
A member of Premier Harcourt's team was a younger man with a reputation as a political scrapper from East Vancouver named Glen Clark. When Mr. Harcourt's career came screeching to a halt in yet another scandal involving a British Columbia Premier, Glen Clark took the initiative and was soon the occupant of the Premier's Office.