Role of Liberal adviser in liquor sale questioned
Patrick Kinsella has links to firm hoping to take over distribution
VICTORIA — The New Democratic Party pressed the B. C. government Wednesday on its plan to privatize the province’s liquor distribution warehouses, questioning whether the surprise move had anything to do with lobbying efforts by a top adviser to the B. C. Liberals.
“[ Patrick] Kinsella is the ultimate B. C. Liberal backroom boy,” NDP liquor critic Shane Simpson said in question period Wednesday, noting Kinsella is registered to lobby on behalf of a company hoping to take over liquor distribution in B. C.
“What assurances can the minister give this house that Mr. Kinsella and his company that he’s working on behalf of don’t have the inside track on this deal?”
Kinsella was an election campaign co- chairman for the B. C. Liberal Party in 2001 and 2005, and served as an adviser to Premier Christy Clark during her leadership campaign last year. Kinsella’s business partner, Mark Jiles, also registered to lobby on the issue, was once former premier Gordon Campbell’s constituency campaign manager.
Minister of Energy Rich Coleman, who is responsible for the Liquor Distribution Branch, responded to Simpson by saying the move announced in Tuesday’s budget was initiated during the budget process — well before he took over responsibility for the file.
He said the eventual contract to privatize liquor warehouses will be awarded though a fair and open contest. “It will have a fairness lens put against it, just like we do with any other bids,” Coleman said.
Kinsella and Jiles came under public scrutiny in 2008 after allegations they had lobbied without properly registering.
They have been registered since April 2010 to lobby certain members of government on behalf of the company Exel Logistics “to develop a new liquor distribution system for the province.”
Through their company, The Progressive Group, Kinsella and Jiles have registered to lobby Coleman, along with Pat Bell, minister of jobs, tourism and innovation, and Justice Minister Shirley Bond, who held responsibility for liquor until earlier this month when it went to Coleman. On Wednesday, Coleman said he has not met with Kinsella or Jiles since taking over responsibility for liquor, though he added he has spoken to them in the past, and in 2001 visited what has since become Exel’s liquor distribution operations in Alberta.
“I’ve had a discussion- type relationship, as far as knowledge is concerned, for many years with these folks,” he said.
“It was not a new conversation. It’s been going on for about 10 years.”
Bond said she met with representatives from Exel on the issue, but said those discussions “were done in an appropriate way. Any look at disposing of the liquor distribution branch will be done transparently, appropriately and with a request for proposals.”
Bell said he had also had a meeting with Exel representatives about six months ago, but added it was only “a high level overview of their proposal.”
Exel representative Scott Lyons offered no comment on the NDP’S questions Wednesday, but said he looked forward to reviewing the province’s request for proposals when it is released. Provincial documents show Exel has made no campaign donations to the B. C. Liberals. Those records show that in 2009, Lyons gave $ 433.08 to the NDP.