The provincial government's new lobbyists registration law appears to have prompted former Liberal campaign co-chair Patrick Kinsella to make his activities public.
Public Eye has been reporting on those activities since 2004.
Back then, the usually media shy Kinsella told us, "I don't do any lobbying. They don't need me to pick up a phone and talk to the provincial government or any members of the provincial government. I make it very clear to my clients that I don't do that."
Hence, the reason he never registered as a lobbyist under a law the Campbell administration introduced in 2002.
Then, in 2007, we exclusively obtained records in which Kinsella's firm The Progressive Group stated it had helped win major provincial government contracts and benefits for powerful corporate and foreign interests, including Accenture Business Services and Alcan Inc.
Progressive issued a statement saying it was "confident it has consistently and correctly followed the requirements" of the Lobbyists Registration Act.
But that didn't stop the provincial New Democrats from alleging otherwise, asking the lobbyists registrar and later the police to investigate.
Because of a lack of co-operation by Kinsella and flaws in the government's legislation, though, neither could.
It wasn't until 2009 that those flaws were patched up, with the Campbell administration introducing legislation that also broadened the definition of what constitutes lobbying.
That legislation kicked in on April 1, 2010.
Shortly after that, Kinsella's name appeared on the lobbyists registrar, disclosing his work for five clients - including Great Canadian Gaming Corp.
Kinsella didn't return phone and email requests for comment placed earlier this week.
No dice for charity bingo?
Paragon Gaming Inc. appears to have yet to deliver on a seven-year-old commitment it inherited to develop a new charitable bingo facility in Vancouver.
But, as of late Tuesday, no one had stepped forward to answer questions about the status of that commitment, as the Las Vegas-based firm gets ready to build a mega casino near BC Place.
According to a review of city council records by Public Eye, that commitment goes back to 2003.
At the time, Gary Jackson and Len Libin were trying to win council approval for a temporary casino featuring slot machines at the Plaza of Nations.
As part of that effort, the businessmen struck a deal with the association that operates Planet Bingo.
Under a memorandum of understanding ratified on October 15 of that year, the association's members agreed to support the introduction of slot machines in Vancouver.
In return, the businessmen promised to develop a new bingo facility - something the association wanted to see happen no later than 2006.
The support Jackson and Libin got from those charities was a key factor in council approving the Edgewater Casino - which had always planned to eventually move to a more permanent location.
Three years later, that bingo facility had yet to be built because of Edgewater's "financial difficulties."
According to an administrative report prepared for council, the casino's new owner - Paragon Gaming - and the charities "agreed on a plan to realize this commitment" just before the company successfully asked the city to extend Edgewater's development permit until July 31, 2013.
In a letter sent to the Community Gaming Management Association's executive director Wendy Thompson, Paragon executive John Cahill advised her his company was "committed to working cooperatively and in good faith with Planet Bingo to implement a mutually feasible resolution to the matters raised in the MOU."
"In order to assist Paragon in meeting this commitment, Paragon requests that Planet Bingo and its affiliated charities communicate to Vancouver City Council its support for the requested development permit extension, without which we can not proceed."
Four years later, B.C. Pavilion Corp. has awarded Paragon Gaming a 70-year-lease agreement to build a mega casino near BC Place.
But there's still no sign of a new bingo facility.
As of late Tuesday, Paragon Gaming - which will close Edgewater when the mega casino opens - hadn't responded to requests for comment about the status of the memorandum of understanding.
For its own part, the community gaming management association wasn't prepared to comment because British Columbia Lottery Corp. "requires that all media communications from any gaming operator have prior approval by them before being made public."
The lottery corporation has said it's unable to respond to our inquiries until Wednesday - after our deadline.
But Vision Vancouver city councillor Raymond Louie did step up to microphone.
Speaking with Public Eye, Louie said, "My understanding is the memorandum of understanding wasn't as robust as Planet Bingo hoped it would be. And the result wasn't as they had originally envisioned. So it's still an outstanding issue in my mind."
The Vancouver Sun's Andrea Woo first reported on that concern last month.
The councillor also told Public Eye he's worried the mega casino will take a bite out of the money Planet Bingo provides to Vancouver charities.
"I think, logically, it would have a negative impact on Planet Bingo," Louie stated.
And that means it will have "a negative impact on the revenues to these charities and, in turn, make it harder for these charities to provide needed services."
Sean Holman is editor of the online provincial political news journal Public Eye (publiceyeonline.com). He can be reached at [email protected].
