VICTORIA – Premier Gordon Campbell must come clean on the secret investigation into a former deputy minister who retains key government roles despite allegations tying him to lobbyists, New Democrat Leader Carole James said today.



Under questioning from James, Yale-Lillooet MLA Harry Lali and Port Coquitlam-Burke Mountain MLA Mike Farnworth, Finance Minister Carole Taylor admitted today in the B.C. Legislature that former deputy finance minister Paul Taylor, now the President of the Insurance Corporation of B.C. and a member of the board of the Vancouver Convention Centre Expansion Project, is being investigated by an unnamed “outside firm” hired by the deputy minister to the premier.



“This secret investigation is the opposite of open and accountable,” charged James. “The Campbell government won’t disclose when they became aware of Taylor ’s actions, who is leading the investigation and what they are investigating. A secret investigation puts the interests of Mr. Taylor, lobbyist Brian Kieran and the big Liberal donors over at the New Car Dealers ahead of the interests of taxpayers.”



The Official Opposition has obtained an email written by lobbyist Brian Keiran reporting on a fishing trip with Mr. Taylor. Kieran said Taylor, then the deputy minister of finance, discussed setting up a lobbying contract for Mr. Keiran’s firm with the New Car Dealers of B.C., Mr. Taylor’s former employer. A reply to Mr. Keiran’s email said, “I could come up with this kind of great intelligence too if I lived next door to a blabby deputy minister."



“This is just another example of how Gordon Campbell covers up for his friends but forgets the interests of British Columbians who expect open and honest government,” James said.



Lali told the House that he wrote the Premier in November asking if Mr. Taylor had directed work to Mr. Keiran. The Premier replied in December that the answer is no.



“In November Harry Lali asked Premier Campbell to investigate this issue. The Premier chose not to do anything about it until a report appeared in the media. That’s not good enough,” said James. “The Premier needs to come clean about his role and make the investigation public. The public has a right to know who is looking into this matter, and why the government chose to keep this investigation secret. And finally, why is the Premier keeping Mr. Taylor in his role as head of ICBC, a role that involves significant contact with the New Car Dealers?”