Bell Lands New Role with Conifex
Prince George, B.C.- Former Prince George-Mackenzie MLA and Liberal Cabinet Minister, Pat Bell, has been named to a new post with Conifex Timber.
He has been appointed to the newly created role of “Executive Vice President, Conifex Timber Inc.”
The role of Executive Vice President will be based in Conifex’s Prince George office and will focus primarily on the enhancement of the Company’s regional operations including raw material supply, lumber manufacturing, capital expenditure programs, and human resources.
Bell was appointed to the Company’s Board of Directors in August 2013 and will continue to serve as a director.
Bell is also developing a winery on the north side of the Nechako River in Prince George. The Northern Lights Estate Winery will feature fruit wines, and is expected to have it’s first bottle ready in the summer of 2015.
Comments
Might be of some assistance to getting the timber cutting rights transferred intact when Conifex is bought out.
Who’s buying Conifex?
“and will focus primarily on the enhancement of the Companyâs regional operations including raw material supply” – Gee, wonder if he will use any of his political buddies to get preferential treatment. Come on, he was minister of forests for how long? There ought to be a law where a politician can’t be hired into a position where is past political experience or post could be considered a conflict of interest. They should have to either wait until a new govt is elected or until 1 full term of political office has been completed before being hired into a similar position. A lot of businesses that hire people who have access to a customer base or business contacts make the employee sign a waiver preventing them from working in a similar or same field for up to a period of 5 years. Why not politics?
I thought Pat Bell was too sick to continue his job with the BC government. Did he get a miracle cure? Now he has two new jobs. Or was it the fiasco he was involved in with Mr. Fehr that caused him to leave his last position with the provincial government.
When Bell thought the NDP were going to take power of B.C. He bailed, saying he was quiting because of health reasons. He gets a nice severance package, now he goes back to work, Did he jump ship? on the Liberal party?
The liberal government has given millions and millions $ worth of timber rights to a few
loggers in mackenzie, B.C. Everyone knows about it. Check into it Ben.lol
Huh states; ” Gee, wonder if he will use any of his political buddies to get preferential treatment.”
Just because Mr. Bell accepts a position with Conifex Timber Inc. does not in itself constitute any conflict of interest. While there may be expectations, on the company’s behalf, that Mr. Bell use his political contacts to a competitive advantage for the company, it would not be a conflict of interest for Mr. Bell to pursue and use those contacts.
However, it would be a clear conflict of interest if Mr. Bell’s elected political contacts reciprocated and used their authority to show favour to Conifex Timber Inc. over other companies, this would include directing senior bureaucrats within the Ministry of Forests, or other relevant Ministries to meet and shoe favour to Conifex Timber Inc.
http://www.thespec.com/news-story/2236296-cabinet-minister-broke-conflict-of-interest-rules-ethics-watchdog/
Having stated all this, I do believe there are conflict of guidelines for public servants (bureaucrats) that stipulate not being employed or using contacts and information squires through their government jobs, for a number of years after their employment with government.
Different, and stricter, Conflict of Interest rules and standards for ex-government managers than ex-government politicians I suppose.
“shoe” should be “show” and “squires” should be “acquired”
I hate autocorrect on my computer, and the lack of an “edit” function on this news blog :-(
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