Imagine reporting to the police that someone had robbed you in the middle of the night and, after a preliminary investigation, the police concluded that, indeed, you were robbed but that it would be useless to go after the culpable party because it would just be too time-consuming. Then, with a pat on the back, law enforcement proceeded to explain how this decision was in your best interest, expecting you to be grateful for their prudent decision-making tactics. Any sane person would be madder than a hornet. Why, then, would our provincial government expect us to react any other way when it has dragged its feet on a public inquiry for the billions of dollars in money laundering that has taken place right under our noses? Collectively, we have borne the cost of this great assault and dealt with the enormous impact; yet, we are denied our right to pursue justice and hold the launderers accountable for their crimes.
Thus far, the RCMP has done absolutely nothing to investigate huge money laundering schemes that dramatically affected the province and resulted in billions of dollars of dirty money flowing through our real estate industry and province's casinos. Not a single federal RCMP officer has been tasked with investigating criminal money laundering and bringing us any sense of justice. When a similar investigation – Charbonneau Commission – was given due diligence in Quebec, the rewards far outweighed the cost of 40 million dollars. A public inquiry resulted in the recovery of 95 million dollars or a 55-million-dollar net gain.
The benefits of this sort of gain would be hard to imagine. We could use it to subsidize childcare for the thousands of B.C. residents who cannot afford to work because of outrageous childcare costs. We could invest it in our children’s education or provide first-time homebuyers with incentives that may help offset the rising costs of housing in B.C. The possibilities are endless, but our government has decided to engage in finger pointing and partisan politics rather than finding the underlying cause(s) of this multi-faceted and complex issue. Yes, they have commissioned several reports and have enacted some legislation to address money laundering in the region, however, they have not initiated an independent public inquiry to investigate and bring those entities responsible for bringing dirty money into our province to justice. That speaks volumes. Not one prosecution?
Embarrassingly, the US Department of State has identified Canada as a major money-laundering nation characterized by foreign drug traffickers exploiting our weak, outdated, and soft white-collar crime laws. If our current government's apprehension to investigate billion-dollar plus money laundering schemes are any indications of truth, I would say the US Department of State is right on the money with this one - the dirty money that is. ~ Jack Trovato
THANK YOU FOR SIGNING: As we crest 3,350 signatures, we would like to express our sincerest THANKS to each and every one of you who have signed this petition.
YOU ARE NOT ALONE: Since launching the petition, the City Councils of Vancouver, Victoria, and Richmond have unanimously called on the provincial government for a public inquiry. Also adding their voice have been the BC Government Employees Union (BCGEU), the BC Green Party, the Union of BC Indian Chiefs, as well as the BC Federation of Labour and the Vancouver District Labour Council.
SHARE THE CALL FOR A PUBLIC INQUIRY:
Please share this petition with folks that you know throughout the province. This isn't just an issue that affects Metro Vancouver. All British Columbians deserve answers.
For more information on this subject, please also see:
READ: It’s long been known in B.C. that RCMP not investigating money laundering, sources reiterate. https://globalnews.ca/news/5145925/bc-rcmp-not-investigating-money-laundering-sources
WATCH: David Eby releases new money laundering info from Peter German’s latest report. https://globalnews.ca/video/rd/1481435715855/
READ: David Eby says government still weighing public inquiry on money laundering. https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/ag-says-government-still-weighing-public-inquiry-on-money-laundering
READ: British Columbia’s money laundering is an emergency. The public deserves an inquiry. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/02/27/british-columbias-money-laundering-is-an-emergency-public-deserves-an-inquiry/