COLLINS SCRAMBLES TO REASSURE PUBLIC

Finance Minister Interrupts Hawaii Vacation to Answer Questions After
Police Investigation

VICTORIA -- Looming large above David Basi's legislature desk, in an
office no larger than a bathroom, sits a bright yellow Fat Choy cat,
the Chinese symbol for good fortune.

However, as the mysterious scandal involving drugs and organized crime
continues to swirl, good fortune seems in short supply as the B.C.
government scrambles to reassure the public while it struggles to
understand the police raids on the legislature.

B.C. Finance Minister Gary Collins cut short his Hawaiian holiday this
week to return to Victoria and address the controversy centering on
Basi, Collins' long-time friend, top political aide and prominent
organizer for Prime Minister Paul Martin and the federal Liberal party.

Standing just a few metres from Basi's former office, which has been
stripped by police of all books, paper, laptop computer and computer
hard drive, Collins attempted to reassure the public the government
remains in stable hands.

"The government's agenda is on track, the budget process is on track.
The legislative agenda is on track. The government continues to
operate," Collins said. "My message to the public is that we are
trying to be as open and transparent as we can."

Despite his reassurances, major questions about the police
investigation into drugs, organized crime and commercial crime remain,
questions for which Collins doesn't have any answers.

"Quite frankly, I'm learning most of this from the media," Collins
said Wednesday.

Collins, who initially said there was no reason to return to B.C.,
changed h is mind Tuesday when he began to hear questions raised in
the media about Basi's link to the government's budget process and its
future legislation.

"He was not involved in the budget process at all. He never has been,"
Collins said. "David was never a part of any of the meetings, didn't
have access to any budget documents, never attended any of the
treasury board [meetings]. To my knowledge, he's never attended a
caucus meeting, a cabinet meeting or a treasury-board meeting."

Collins, who has not spoken to Basi since the police raid, has been
told by Solicitor-General Rich Coleman not to have any contact with
him.

Basi, who is in his 30s, was the ministerial assistant responsible for
Collins' role as house leader. That means he scheduled the timing of
legislation to be introduced, co-ordinated debate timing and had
contact with every cabinet minister, Liberal backbencher and
legislature clerk. He was also the government's key official dealing
with the New Democratic Party opposition.

"He was a key player in helping me manage the legislation through the
house as well as liaising with the caucus member and the opposition.
Those are all very important jobs," Collins said. "He was not involved
in the drafting of legislation, or the policy development that goes
into legislation or any of that."

Collins said he can't figure out what the RCMP might have been looking
for in Basi's office. However, he repeatedly said Basi would not have
had access to budget documents or proposed legislation.

"I was sitting there trying to imagine where you would get 12 or 13
boxes worth of stuff out of his office. It's a pretty tiny office. I
imagine they probably took a computer and some documents."

Despite repeated questions, Collins was unable to clearly answer why
Basi was fired and Bob Virk, the second political aide whose
legislature office was raided, was merely suspended.

"Bob Virk's role is confined to his minister. Dave's role is much
broader," Collins said. "A judgment call was made that David would be
unable to do that job in an effective manner.

Sometimes in politics, political staff go. Sometimes, it may not
appear fair on the surface but it's a judgment call and it's made in
the best interest of the public."

Premier Gordon Campbell's chief of staff Martyn Brown made the order
to fire Basi, an order signed by Solicitor-General Rich Coleman.

"I wasn't here when the decision was made but I agree with it," said
Collins.

Questions are being raised about Basi's multiple real estate holdings,
particularly because he earned just $67,000 last year and his wife
Inderjit earned less as a civil servant working part time as a
customer-service representative in the community, aboriginal and
women's services ministry.

Although Basi co-owns at least four homes, he drives a older Jeep
Cherokee and has a vintage Mercury Cougar automobile. He wears little
jewelry other than a gold Sikh bangle at his wrist.

Collins said he never took lavish trips or had the trappings of a rich
lifestyle.

"My understanding is his grandfather had a sawmill in Victoria and the
family has had resources over the years," Collins said, finding
nothing unusual in the fact Basi owns properties.

"I've never had the sense that Dave lives a high lifestyle. I don't
think any of us do."

Collins, who first met Basi in 1992, was responsible for recruiting
Basi into the finance ministry office.

The two are friends although they did not socialize
regularly.

"He was active as a Young Liberal, he was very visible and high
profile. One of the reasons I wanted him to work for me after the
elections was that caucus liaison role. He knew who the MLAs were, he
knew their backgrounds and had dealt with them in the years, or months
or weeks prior to the election and I thought he would be very good in
that regard. He was exceptional in that."

Although no charges have been laid and no politician or political
party is being investigated, Collins knows the mysterious scandal
involving drugs, money laundering and organized crime is political
poison for both the provincial and federal Liberals.

"My preference would be that all of this [is made] public as quickly
as possible. What happens in these cases, and I've seen them in
opposition over the years, is the longer they're there with people not
knowing, speculation runs rampant, things are inflated, things become
inaccurate."