Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 01 Mar, 2022 01:30 PM
VANCOUVER - A special prosecutor says British Columbia's former clerk of the legislative assembly used public funds to enrich himself in "glaring and egregious" ways.
Brock Martland made the allegation as he began closing arguments in the Crown's case against Craig James, who has pleaded not guilty to two counts of fraud over $5,000 and three counts of breach of trust.
James's defence is expected to present its case Wednesday.
Martland says that as the most senior officer of the legislature, James held a position akin to the CEO and was responsible for financial stewardship of the institution.
He accused James of acting outside of his duties by picking up a wood splitter and trailer for the legislature and storing them at home for a year, exploiting a weakness in the system to award himself a $258,000 retirement benefit and charging souvenirs to the public purse.
Martland says public trust in government officials is a critical part of a functioning democracy, and he alleged that James violated that trust.
"This case is about trust, specifically the public trust that we place in government officials," Martland told the court on Tuesday.
"Our position is that the public trust was violated repeatedly and extensively by Craig James."
Industry representatives say the closed border between Canada and the United States and worker shortages will continue to hinder their restart despite fewer health restrictions.
76.1% of all adults in B.C. and 74.4% of those 12 and older have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. In total, 4,102,905 doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in B.C., 657,491 of which are second doses.
More than 2,000 temporary patios authorized to serve liquor during the COVID-19 pandemic can apply to become permanent under amended provincial liquor regulations.
Speaking in Brussels following a Canada-EU with European leaders, Trudeau says the issue of COVID-19 vaccine patents is complex, but the global goal is to get everyone around the world safely vaccinated as quickly as possible.
International women's rights advocates are calling on Canada to apply existing laws to hold tech giants like Pornhub to account in stopping the violence and exploitation of women.
The federal government is launching a consultation on how it should define elder abuse, an exercise that would bring more targeted programs and policies for Canada's aging population. About one in 10 seniors are affected by abuse or neglect, often by those who are close to them.
