SOME QUESTIONS FOR BRITISH COLUMBIANS

Six days after the shocking raids on the legislature, citizens still
have been told next to nothing about the RCMP actions that have shaken
the province's political life to its core. Here are 27 unanswered questions:

What triggered this investigation? - How closely linked is the drug
investigation led by federal prosecutor Robert Prior to the
investigation led by special prosecutor William Berardino? - What if
anything is the link between drugs, organized or commercial crime to
staff in the B.C. legislature? - To the federal Liberal party? - Who
are the nine people recently arrested and why have none of them been
charged? - What premises were searched on Sunday? - Who was arrested
Sunday and then released? - Have other arrests been made? - Were other
search warrants executed prior to Sunday's action? - Have any criminal
charges been laid in either investigation? - If so, when and against
whom? - Does the government know more than the public is being told? -
How is the suspension of Victoria police officer Ravinder Dosanjh
linked to this investigation? - Why would RCMP spokesman Sergeant John
Ward choose a press conference on the raids at the legislature to say
that "organized crime is a cancer eating away at the social and moral
fabric of British Columbia"? - Does the fact so many individuals have
connections to the BC Rail deal mean anything? - Has the investigation
uncovered evidence that government policies or decisions may have been
illegally or inappropriately affected? - Were phones at the
legislature or politicians' private phone lines tapped? - Are there
connections to Indo-Canadian gangs? - Other criminal groups? - Does it
mean anything that so many of the individuals have links to the
federal Liberal party, Prime Minister Paul Martin's organizing team in
B.C. and his leadership campaign? - Why did a 20-month investigation
come to a head on a Sunday between Christmas and New Year's? - Why was
Dave Basi fired and Bob Virk only suspended? - Why would the
government fire someone who has not been charged with any crime? -
Have the province's $28-billion operations been compromised? - How
long will this investigation cast a shadow over B.C.? - With so many
unanswered questions, can the citizens of this province be confident
in the government's ability to function effectively? - Will this
affair adversely affect the province's economy and reputation?