A former Speaker of the B.C. legislature is questioning the way sergeant-at-arms Gary Lenz and legislature clerk Craig James were suspended on Tuesday.
Claude Richmond, the former Liberal MLA for Kamloops, said he’s puzzled that police could remove the two men from office without either arresting them or telling them why they are being investigated.
“That to me is unusual. I would not have done it that way,” said Richmond. “These are high-ranking people, especially the clerk. He’s in a very important position and to publicly remove him from office is pretty embarrassing. I don’t think there’s any precedent for it.”
Richmond, who was Speaker from 2001 to 2005, said he’s also puzzled by the hiring of Alan Mullen as special adviser to Speaker Darryl Plecas. On Wednesday, Mullen said he’d been hired in January to assist in an investigation of the two men.
Mullen forwarded the investigation to the police in late August. Both James and Lenz have been suspended with pay pending a criminal investigation involving their administrative duties. The RCMP are investigating because they have jurisdiction over the legislature.
“In my experience and to my knowledge, there’s never been a special adviser to the Speaker hired before this. It’s something new,” said Richmond. “But I guess he has hired this person. I don’t understand that. I wouldn’t have done it that way.”
Richmond vividly remembers Boxing Day 2003.
That’s when solicitor general Rich Coleman, accompanied by RCMP officer, travelled to Richmond’s home in Kamloops to get permission to seize documents from the offices of two political aides, Dave Basi and Robert Virk.
“The RCMP wanted to go into the building and seize documents from a couple of offices. They had to fly to Kamloops to get my permission to go into the building,” Richmond recalled.
“In that instance, they showed me the evidence they had and it was sufficient to allow me to say: ‘Yes you can go in and search these two officers only and take what documents are required.’ We put it all in writing and they signed it.”
Richmond said it seems bizarre that the investigation into James and Lenz has been going on for 11 months and few knew about it.
The Speaker is in charge of the clerk, the sergeant-at-arms, the grounds of the legislature and the house while it’s in session.
“You’re like a referee. You make sure everyone conforms to the rules. ... You do have quite a bit to say,” said Richmond.
George MacMinn, a former legislature clerk, said he would not comment on how the situation has been handled.
“I’m unhappy with the present state of affairs and I’m hoping that the cloud will lift and some light will be cast on it in the near future,” he said. “It’s a hot potato. I’m retired but I still watch things with interest.”
The 88-year-old worked with both Lenz and James over the years.
“I recommended Craig’s appointment as clerk when I left and that’s where my authority ended,” said MacMinn. “I think they are both fine people and I am sorry to see this mess.”
