How much can $6 million buy on the open market?
For the average household, it could buy groceries for 15,000 weeks - that's almost 300 years. For the average renter, it could provide housing for 6,000 months, which translates to 500 years. Or, if you're the B.C. government, it could buy you the silence of two people.
The news that, after seven long years, former government aides Dave Basi and Bob Virk have been sentenced to two years of house arrest and Basi fined $75,000 after changing their pleas to guilty for breach of trust relating to the sale of B.C. Rail is head-scratching at best. Add to that the fact the government has agreed to pick up the tab for their expensive lawyers, roughly calculated to top $6-million, and you have a genuine cause for disbelief.
And forgive us if we're a little suspicious at the timing of all this drama. Just as former Finance Minister Gary Collins is about to take the witness stand, the two accused suddenly find the guilty button, and nobody from the government has to answer any difficult questions.
Why too, we wonder - in this time of belt tightening by all B.C. residents - are these two individuals entitled to such preferred treatment? We've all heard Solicitor General Mike de Jong say there is no point in the government going after Basi and Virk because they have no money. That reason has never stopped the government before. Just ask any small business owner what happened to them if they couldn't afford to pay their taxes on time. There sure as heck wasn't a letter in the mail saying, "All is forgiven, the government will pick up the tab."
We also find the men's current conduct very strange. After protesting their innocence for many years, Basi and Virk suddenly confessed that they're guilty. But both are still telling all and sundry that they have a clear conscience. Perhaps they don't know the true meaning of guilty. According to Basi, the only reason he changed his plea is because his kids are getting older and "the realization that this isn't going to end." This sounds pretty feeble to our ears - either you're guilty or you're not.
It's hard not to be cynical when examining this case. Seven years of wrangling, seven years of not knowing just what involvement elected officials had in this scandal, seven years of doling out cash to very expensive lawyers - for what, ultimately? A light slap on the wrist for the two accused, no answers to any important questions and no opportunity for B.C. taxpayers to recover any of their money.
We're not sure where you'd like to see your hard-earned tax dollars spent. But if we have a vote next time, we opt to spend it on groceries for people who really can go to sleep at night with a clear conscience.
