The revelations just keep getting better & better about the
whole Millenium gong show. This from CBC:
Vancouver mayoral candidates return Millennium's
donations
Both Vancouver mayoral candidates have rejected campaign
contributions from Millennium Development Corp., the builder
of the controversial Olympic Athletes Village for the 2010
Games.
Non-Partisan Association's Peter Ladner said
Millennium delivered a $2,000 cheque to him last
week.
Vision Vancouver's Gregor Robertson said he received
Millennium's $1,000 donation cheque Wednesday.
Understatement of the Year
"The timing of it is troubling given that decisions have
been made and driven in secret by the NPA and campaign
donations are arriving after the fact," Robertson said.
"I think we need to ask hard questions about where the
dollars come from and why?"
Ladner's copy of the report turned up on fellow NPA
councillor B.C. Lee's desk two days later, and Vancouver
police are now investigating the incident at the request of
Mayor Sam Sullivan.
Valerie Wan, a senior consultant for Millennium,
told CBC News Wednesday that the developer has
donated just under $10,000 to the Nov. 15 civic
election to both the NPA and Vision Vancouver.
************************************************
So, bit of a question here: exactly how much has
Millenium donated to the NPA and Vision Vancouver
over the past few years? How about individuals
associated with Millenium and Armeco?
Where did the other $7000 donated by Millenium go?
While the police are investigating, they might want to
expand things a little and get copies of the daytimers
and meeting schedules of mayor and city council going back
to, oh I don't know, the time when Olympic venue contract
bids were getting sorted out. No lobbyist registry at
Vancouver city hall. Yet.
Also, police might want to have a look at disclosure statements
by city councillors, re: any gifts from Millenium, or Armeco.
From the City of Vancouver webpage:
Campaign financing
Candidates and elector organizations will be required to
provide the chief election officer with up-to-date contact
information and must file financial disclosure statements
if they incur election expenses or receive campaign
contributions. Campaign organizers only need to file this
information if they incur election expenses or receive
campaign contributions in excess of $500.
**************************************************
It's quite interesting the kind of things we can learn when
looking at the Campaign Financing Disclosure statements
from the last election.
Peter Ladner received $2500 from Concord Pacific on
October 28th 2005. They were one of the contenders in
the Olympic Village bid too.
Rennie Marketing Systems handed over $1000 on
October 3rd 2005.
Apparently a lot of individuals contributed too and their
names were blanked out. One very generous soul gave
Mr. Ladner $3000 on October 5th 2005. Wonder
who? It looks like their last name begins with an S.
Vancouver Election Spending Out of Control
Prone to fraud, few limits, and a whopping $30 spent per
vote.
A Tyee special report. By Monte Paulsen
Published: October 31, 2007
Excerpt$:
The right-leaning Non Partisan Association and its 26
candidates reported raising more than $2 million for the
November 2005 election. The NPA itself reported only
$603,887 in party donations, 81 per cent of which came
from corporations.
The balance was raised by the NPA candidates themselves.
Mayor Sam Sullivan led the pack, with reported donations
of more than $490,000. Like the NPA, Sullivan's money
flowed overwhelmingly from corporate donors.
The centre-left Vision Vancouver party reported raising a
total of $1.357 million during the 2005 election period.
Unlike the NPA, Vision's candidates did not also mount
individual fundraising efforts.
Vision reported taking 73 per cent of its money from corporate
donors, 15 per cent from individuals, 12 per cent from labour
unions and the balance from various non-profit organizations.
The left-leaning Coalition of Progressive Electors reported
raising $532,852 during the 2005 election period. COPE took
69 per cent of its 2005 funds from labour unions, and less than
5 per cent from business.
NPA (Civic Non-Partisan Association)
Campaign Financing Disclosure Statement
Notable Donations to NPA coffers:
- Paul Barbeau – Barbeau, Evans & Goldstein: $2066
(or $2086) on August 24th 2005.
- Mark Marissen – Marissen Holdings Inc.: $417.30 on
October 13th 2005
- Patrick Kinsella – Progressive Strategies Ltd.: $417.30
on August 24th & October 5th 2005
- Concord Pacific donated $14,000 on October 26th 2005.
Canadian National Railway Company - $25,000 on
November 9th 2005. Just what does a Montreal based
company have to do with the NPA and why would they
donate such a generous amount to their campaign?
Total amount of donations declared: $1,157,641.74
Much of the information is vetted, especially individual donors.
Vision Vancouver
Campaign Financing Disclosure Statement
Supplementary Financing Disclosure Statement
(November 14, 2007)
Concert Properties - $1580 on March 18th & May 30th
2005
Concord Pacific – Total $48,250
Eagle Medallion Fortress Investment Corp.–
Total: $169,994.80
Why is the Calgary based firm so interested in a new upstart
Political party? Well, whatever the linkage, it’s interesting,
because apparently Steve Lefevre, described as the
“beneficial owner of EMFIC was arrested in the United States
on charges that appear to be related to online gambling.
Vision OK with campaign gift
Recently convicted donor had given $170,000
Christina Montgomery, The Province
Published: Monday, July 16, 2007
Great Canadian Casino – Total: $30,750.
Millenium’s donations are all broken down into separate
donations, $500 for what appears to be each holding company:
Total: $3000
Rennie Marketing Systems: Total: $75,639.
Xiang Enterprises Ltd. - $30,680 from a mystery company,
whose director is listed as a Dario Giannandrea from Montreal.
CUPE BC: $72,700
Total donations to Vision: $1,389,089.66
COPE (Coalition of Progressive Electors)
Campaign Financing Disclosure Statement
Supplementary Disclosure
Total donations: $525,740.81
No real surprises here, trade unions donated the most:
CUPE BC, different CUPE locals, HEU, Vancouver
Elementary Teachers
Labour/Union total: $360,511.13
Concord Pacific Group donated a total of $9250.
***********************************************
Sweeet, more to add to the investigations and Olympic
Contract Inquiry. If Millenium has this kind of money
to be throwing VANOC’s way, why are they bellying
back up to the Vancouver trough for more taxpayer
funds?
Millennium joins team as Official Supplier of the
Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter
Games
Developer of Olympic and Paralympic Village
Vancouver now on board
Vancouver, March 20, 2008 – The Vancouver Organizing
Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter
Games (VANOC) today welcomed the Millennium
Development Corporation to its team as an Official
Supplier through a financial contribution to VANOC
of $3 million.
Awarded the contract by the City of Vancouver in
April 2006, Millennium is the developer of the Millennium
Water project that will serve as the Olympic and Paralympic
Village Vancouver during the 2010 Winter Games.
Through this partnership, Millennium obtains Official Supplier
rights, which enhance the organization’s ability to market
this unique development in conjunction with the 2010 Winter
Games.
From the Vancouver 2010 Supplier page:
Millennium Development Corporation is an Official Supplier and
is the developer of the Millennium Water project that will serve as
the Olympic and Paralympic Village Vancouver during the 2010
Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.
Entire council agrees to lie-detector test on city hall
report leak
Chad Skelton and Darah Hansen, Vancouver Sun
Published: Thursday, November 13, 2008
Furlong speaks to the Vancouver Board of Trade:
Furlong calls on business community to step up to
welcome the world in 2010
Nov 13, 2008
Strong leadership from the community, changes to business
operations, a warm welcome to visitors and support for
Canada’s athletes were among the Business Top Ten List
shared by Furlong to ensure successful and unforgettable
Winter Games in 2010.
ZNet - Vancouver Olympics Sustainability
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