Oppal is too close to the Campbell Liberals...much too close.
Bad idea.
This will taint any inquiry before it even starts.
For a party that is trying to raise their popularity level,this was a very dumb move!

Nothing like wasting the taxpayer's money to look after one of your own. And just how much will Oppal's services cost us, if he does get the job? Let alone all the lawyers who'll milk the whole process for whatever can be gleaned? And to what good end? Just what is the sense of having an inquiry on this now anyways?

I could not agree more socredible!
Nothing good(or new)will come from this inquiry.
A complete waste of taxpayers money,but I also think the Campbell crew figured they had no choice, as far as their "image" was concerned.
Trying to make themselves look good...impossible I know,but they will still try, and we will still pay for it.

Good Lord!!!!! These guys are digging their grave deeper and deeper by the day!

If Oppal is chosen, this would clearly be a conflict of interest. His previous work and current political affiliations should not get him even short listed for the job.

I guess we should expect this kind of patronage.
The Campbell government is toast,and they know that.
What Campbell does now will soon be someone elses problem,and he knows that too.
Which makes this government very dangerous.
Thye had no accountability before,now they have even less.
Politics is all about what you learn on the'inside',that can be used to your advantage after you have had your time at the public trough and finally end up back on the street.
Play your cards right,kiss the right a**es,and the ride goes on forever.
No suprises here...we have have seen this many times.

Wouldn't the inquiry be investigating the RCMP and not the government?

Yes, it will be about the RCMP and the VPD hood rich,but this is also about patronage.
And wasting our tax dollars.
We have a very unpopular government in it's final days grasping at straws,and had that not been the case,I doubt this inquiry would have even happened.
Nothing will come of this,except taxpayers will be a lot poorer,and Liberal 'freinds' will be richer.
The inquiry itself,will serve no purpose.

so u are saying he is not qualified for the position and only being given the position because he is a former member of the government?

it wont serve a purpose? there were mistakes made that led to more women being killed. anything but an inquiry would be disgusting.

It looks like maybe this will become the smokescreen distraction they will now bombard us with news of this probably until the HST is over with. My prediction is we get flooded with propaganda about how good the HST is and the rest of the time we going to be hearing about picton. Remember 1991 when we got onto the GST? We were bombarded day after day week after week with quebec and garbage talk about constitutions. Same thing here is unfolding. I dont care about picton. Hes supposed to rot in jail for life so why do we have to hear about him now?
Concentrate on the upcoming recalls that will happen soon. Time for pat bell to leave.

Yes,there were mistakes made hood rich...but an inquiry cannot find fault or access blame.
All that means is that nobody has to pay any attention to the recommendations at the end of the inquiry.
And that is all they will be...recommendations.
There will be no finger pointing.
If there was any 'blame' attached,the lawsuits would go on forever.
I think the RCMP and the VPD did drop the ball to some degree,but all in all,I think they did the best they could.
Communication between the RCMP and the VPD probably played a big role in why certain things were overlooked.
I doubt this inquiry will change that.
And yes,Wally Oppal is more than qualified,but this isn't about him per say,it is about actaully seeing that justice has been done and all the rocks turned over.
Instead,it will likely be seen that by appointing Oppal to head the inquiry,the government is injecting itself into the process, if for no other reason than Oppal is simply too close to the government to be viewed as effective.

Andy,
I think you assume too much knowledge about what happened during the investigation and perhaps an inquiry is necessary. Perhaps you could be an expert witness. I don't like how the various people/groups involved in the case were not consulted about the inquiry. Doesn't seem right.

I just listened to Wally Oppal defending his appointment on CBC radio.
Does that not seem odd to anyone?
Do judges speak openly about a trial before they happen?
Does this help him to be seen as unbiased?

who is on trial?