Complaint About Fake Party Membership Gathering In BC

"OTTAWA - Political activists and party donors who engage in "bulk" purchase of party memberships could face fines and jail terms up to five years, Elections Canada has warned on its Web site. The notice detailing Elections Canada's interpretation of the bulk memberships issue was posted earlier this month in the midst of a controversy in B.C. and Ontario regarding allegations of vote buying." (Victoria Times Colonist, January 22, 2004, p. A5)

Dear Mr. Kingsley:

We, the undersigned Canadians*, alarmed at increasing evidence of odious and criminal manipulation and misuse of political party memberships, formally request that the Chief Electoral Officer (a) investigate fully all such behaviour in British Columbia, (b) identify all persons involved in criminal activity relating to party memberships (c) and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.

We shall name particular people mentioned in news reports and commentaries who offer themselves as people in whom an Elections Canada investigation should take special interest. Among them we name some top political Liberals because we believe all reasonable and prudent Canadians would hold that persistent and repeated, active, organized criminal manipulation of democratic processes would not take place unless instigated and/or supervised and/or condoned by at least some senior party people.

We wish to underscore to the Chief Electoral Officer that the odious and criminal activity of faking memberships in a number of ways: by "bulk membership" acquisition, purchase of memberships for the dead, for animals, for non-existing persons, and for those who do not speak either official language and do not even know memberships have been purchased for them, as well as for those who have memberships bought and paid for by others, for instance, has become dangerously prevalent in British Columbia. It has reached such proportions that the integrity of the democratic processes in British Columbia have been ruinously compromised.

We underscore the seriousness of this complaint by repeating the last point. We believe that odious and criminal activity in the conduct of electoral affairs in the Province of British Columbia has become so dangerously prevalent that the integrity of democratic processes are ruinously compromised. As a result even B.C. government in office is under dark suspicion of being illegitimate.

Allegations have been made, and have been discussed in the press, of the use of illegal drug profits to finance criminal purchase of fake party memberships and to launder dirty money. In addition allegations are being made of the "insidious rise of organized crime and its pernicious reach inside government"(Vancouver Sun Jan 24 04 B2).

We say, regrettably, that we believe organized crime (likely from inside and outside British Columbia and from inside and outside Canada) - at whatever apparent distance and wearing whatever disguise necessary - is almost certainly presently sitting at the Cabinet table in B.C. deciding the future of British Columbians and the Province. That is an allegation from which we believe the Chief Electoral Officer may not shy away.

We know, for instance, that the constituency association of former federal Natural Resources minister Herb Dhaliwal was "taken over", apparently with the consent of Paul Martin and Gordon Campbell. Bill Cunningham, president of the federal [Liberal] party on the West Coast is quoted as saying that "there's probably some validity" to assertions that Martin supporters could not have taken over former minister Herb Dhaliwal's Vancouver South-Burnaby riding association without Basi's involvement." (Victoria Times Colonist, 29 03 A2) The Vancouver Sun reported further that "Greg Wilson, a former member of the B.C. Liberal executive Š said the 'Basi Boys' Š were vital to the Martin campaign in B.CŠ..They wouldn't have had Herb Dhaliwal taken out without the Basi Boys." (Sun Dec 29 03 A2)

The descriptions of Mr. Basi's activities suggest he and "a group of young men known as 'Basi's Boys'" need careful and thorough investigation. Mr. Basi's connections, and the connections of suspended political aide Bob Virk, with Gordon Campbell, Gary Collins, Judith Reid, Paul Martin and Martin aides in the Prime Minister's Office and with other political appointee aides in the British Columbia legislature require careful scrutiny. John Beatty and Peter O'Neill write the following: "Dave [Basi] is a well-known organizer both at the provincial and federal level," said Bill Cunningham, president of the federal party on the West Coast. "He's got a lot of political connections on Vancouver Island." He said Basi "did a lot of work" for Martin's leadership campaign and was a significant player in the three ridings around Victoria." "Cunningham said Basi and his team had influence in other ridings as well." (Victoria Times Colonist Dec 29 03 A2)

Political commentator Gordon Gibson records that David Basi "has been an especially aggressive organizer in the recent federal leadership campaign, specializing in mobilizing Indo-Canadian memberships by the hundreds to do lightning unfriendly takeovers of local Liberal riding associations". Gibson records that in the riding of Esquimalt-Juan de Fuca "Indo-Canadians make up less than 2% of the population, but grew to an incredible 67% of the riding association membership during the leadership process last fall. Bring in the buses, tell 'em where to put the X". (National Post, Jan 22 04 A14)

In the case of Gordon Campbell, as premier of the Province and as one collegially (at least) responsible for placing Provincial political aides like David Basi (and many others), he must be subjected to careful scrutiny.

It is not, moreover, irrelevant to point out that Judi Tyabji Wilson, in her book Daggers Unsheathed (Heritage House, 2002, p. 170), writes the following: "In 1993 Gordon Campbell was criticized for obtaining high profile support from the Indo-Canadian community in his leadership bid,,,, In Campbell's case there was a televote to determine the leadership, and any member, old or new, could vote by paying $25 to receive a PIN number. Hundreds of Sikh names were signed up as new members, many using post-office-box addresses. These mass sign-ups were connected to mass phone-ins using PIN numbers to vote for the leadership of the party, so many of the new members did not have to show up at a meeting, and there was little accountability."

In her earlier book, Political Affairs, 1994, Tyabji Wilson elaborates on the information given in Daggers Unsheathed, presenting information that calls into question the legitimacy of the convention itself at which Gordon Campbell "won" the leadership. (pp. 222-239) Whatever the relevance of that information may be to other aspects of British Columbia political life, it is relevant to an attempt to ascertain Gordon Campbell's knowledge of the practice of "bulk membership" buying, and it is relevant to our claim that the integrity of democratic processes in British Columbia are ruinously compromised.

In closing we wish to underscore that we request full investigation of Paul Martin, Gordon Campbell, Gary Collins, Judith Reid, Paul Martin aides in the Prime Minister's Office, and all political-appointee aides in the British Çolumbia legislature, David Basi and the "Basi Boys", and any other person or persons who merit investigation as a result of inquiry made by the Chief Electoral Officer. We request that all wrong-doers be fully and publicly identified and that they be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

This is a request of the most serious nature, undertaken because we believe the conduct of democratic government is imperilled in British Columbia. We believe, furthermore, that failure - for whatever reasons - of the Chief Electoral Officer to act with expeditiousness, firmness, and dedication in response to our request will be seen by criminal abusers of the democratic electoral system in British Columbia as license to continue, unabated and unobstructed, criminal activity.

*Names of signators will be listed for the Chief Electoral Officer. Some are attached to precise copies of this document and will be stored in a safety deposit box to be examined by the Chief Electoral Officer at his pleasure.

Signature Name Printed Legibly Residential Address Telephone Number

Note: rmathews@sfu.ca Robin Mathews