In Quotes -
Special StoneWally Edition

- Wally's Dream -

My confidential and undercover informant who faithfully keeps me up to date with memorable quotes collected by the NDP Caucus hopefully realizes that I always appreciate receiving them, whether I publish them here or not. However the batch that arrived this morning, focused on old StoneWally himself is just too good to not share with my readers who may not either go to the NDP Caucus website or be on their mailing list. Note that the quotes from StoneWally himself here are ONLY from this last week in response to the foo-foo-ra regarding Patrick Kinsellas payment of $500 dollars per hour, $6000 per month for little more than being a "back room Li(ar)beral (nice work if you can get it, and assuming back rooms don't make you claustrophobic)!

If we were to try to include EVERY time that StoneWally has used the "before the courts" tape loop to obstruct the public's right to know anything about the theft of BC Rail from the people of BC, we might find the limits of cyberspace and not have enough space on all the servers and hard drives in the universe! It's hard to not imagine StoneWally even says "IT'S BEFORE THE COURTS" in his sleep............

With apologies to Paul Simon, there must be 50 ways to say “The Campbell government won’t come clean about the privatization of B.C. Rail.” This week, Attorney General (Stone)Wally Oppal lived up to his nickname by coming up with a dozen or so more ways of breaking Gordon Campbell’s promise to be the most open and accountable government ever.

Just slip out the back, Jack…
"The member well knows that the issue relating to B.C. Rail is before the Supreme Court of British Columbia, and we will not comment on the matter."
- Attorney General Wally Oppal (Hansard), March 10, 2009

… Make a new plan, Stan…
"The fact that the documents are now available is not relevant. The fact is that they have been in evidence."
- Attorney General Wally Oppal (Hansard), March 10, 2009

…Don’t need to be coy, Roy…"The fact is that all of this matter is related to what's before the Supreme Court. The subject of the B.C. Rail litigation is before the Supreme Court of British Columbia, and I'm not going to comment on it."
- Attorney General Wally Oppal (Hansard), March 10, 2009

… Hop on the bus, Gus …"I'll repeat my answer. The issues relating to B.C. Rail are very much before the Supreme Court of British Columbia, and we're not going to comment on that."
- Attorney General Wally Oppal (Hansard), March 10, 2009

…Don’t need to discuss much…"Obviously, this matter arises out of those issues that are now before the Supreme Court in the B.C. Rail dispute. In the circumstances, I'm not going to comment on it."
- Attorney General Wally Oppal (Hansard), March 11, 2009

…Just drop off the key, Lee…"Right now there's a trial proceeding in the Supreme Court of British Columbia, and in the circumstances, it would be improper for anyone in this House to comment on any matter that arises either directly or indirectly from that trial."
- Attorney General Wally Oppal (Hansard), March 11, 2009

…And get yourself free…"My answer is the same. The question is the same."
- Attorney General Wally Oppal (Hansard), March 11, 2009

...Don't say a word, Ward...
"Well, that was the same question, except with a lot more bombast. So my answer is the same. I'm not going to comment on it."
- Attorney General Wally Oppal (Hansard), March 11, 2009

...Keep your mouth shut, Mutt...
"This question and the previous questions all arise out of the same set of circumstances, the same event that is now being tried in the Supreme Court of British Columbia, and I will not comment on that."
- Attorney General Wally Oppal (Hansard), March 11, 2009

...Keep on denyin', Brian...
"The answer is the same. It's before the court. I will not answer it."
- Attorney General Wally Oppal (Hansard), March 11, 2009

...Say it ain't so, Joe...
"I have no idea if any of those facts alleged are accurate or not, and I'm not going to comment on them."
- Attorney General Wally Oppal (Hansard), March 12, 2009

...Keep your lips zipped, Chip...
"Perhaps the member doesn't know, but the matter of B.C. Rail is before the Supreme Court of British Columbia, and I will not make any comment on it."
- Attorney General Wally Oppal (Hansard), March 12, 2009

...Pretend that you're thick, Mick...
"The fact that something is of public record does not mean that it can be the subject of comment. Every piece of evidence given in a courtroom is a matter of public record. Every document that's ever filed in a courtroom is a matter of public record. That doesn't mean that we need to comment on it."
- Attorney General Wally Oppal (Hansard), March 12, 2009

...Just keep playing dumb, chum ...
"Yesterday it's fairly clear that the opposition drew a link between the B.C. Rail trial and Mr. Kinsella, and I'm not going to answer the question."
- Attorney General Wally Oppal (Hansard), March 12, 2009

...Keep your head in the sand, Dan...
"No I'm not going to find out [if the $300,000 payment to Patrick Kinsella was before the courts]. It's not my job to find out. That's something that you people [in the media] should do."
- Attorney General Wally Oppal (Hansard), March 12, 2009

(Except B.C. wants the truth, Ruth)
"I think I've already answered those questions."**
- Premier Gordon Campbell (on publiceyeonline.com), March 11, 2009

** Campbell has only answered questions in the Legislature on one day of the current session - Feb. 25 - and has never answered a single question about the B.C. Rail privatization in question period since the 2005 election.= = =

The issue has not slipped off the bus, Gus
"That's why it's so critical for Justice Elizabeth Bennett to keep driving the parties toward a full and open trial. Her decision to release the 8,000 pages was a bold and welcome move forward.
"Now British Columbians deserve a trial -- and the whole truth."
- Michael Smyth (the Province), March 10, 2009

Being coy, Roy, about the privatization won't work
"'Why are we paying this guy?' asked a 2004 email sent during an internal audit to Kevin Mahoney, who was then a B.C. Rail vice-president, according to the Sun. 'The response is that Kinsella is a 'backroom Liberal.'"
- Andrew McLeod (the Tyee), March 11, 2009

StoneWally's first responsibility is to make sure Premier Campbell gets [him]self free
"Premier Gordon Campbell was sitting right there in the house as [New Democrat MLA John] Horgan and his colleagues pitched their questions.
"He studied his briefing materials and chatted to adjacent ministers. At times he appeared to be amused, at other stony silent. The one thing he didn't do was get to his feet and answer.
"Instead, he deferred to Attorney-General Wally Oppal, who gave variations on the answer that earned him the nickname Stonewally. 'Before the courts, therefore no comment.'"
- Vaughn Palmer (Vancouver Sun), March 12, 2009

                        Quotes collected by BCNDPCaucus.