BC Legislature Suspensions

A report released by the Speaker of the B-C legislature alleges the clerk and sergeant-at-arms engaged in flagrant overspending, questionable expanses and inappropriate payouts of cash “in the range of a million dollars.” The 76-page report from Speaker Darryl Plecas says based on what he has seen and heard, he believed that there was a real possibility that crimes may have been committed and he felt obligated to bring those matters to the R-C-M-P. Sergeant-at-arms Gary Lenz and clerk of the house Craig James were suspended and escorted out of the legislature in November without any explanation. The R-C-M-P later said it was investigating allegations against the men and that two special prosecutors had been appointed to assist in the investigation. An all-party legislature committee voted to release the report today and agreed to launch an audit of legislature financial issues, conduct a workplace review and submit that report to an auditor from outside of B.C.