Special prosecutor named in investigation of B.C. school board trustee
The BC Prosecution Service says it has named a special prosecutor in a case involving a New Westminster school board candidate who was later appointed a government adviser at the beginning of May.
The service says Vancouver lawyer John Gordon will give legal advice to investigators and handle the potential prosecution of Gurveen Dhaliwal, who was elected to the New Westminster school board as chair before being named a ministerial adviser to Health Minister Adrian Dix on May 1.
Dhaliwal is being investigated for possibly breaking election rules by being present at a voting place as a scrutineer, which the Local Government Act prohibits, as candidates are only allowed at polling stations to vote on election day.
The prosecution service says Gordon was appointed on May 4, three days after Dhaliwal was appointed a ministerial adviser to B.C.'s health minister.
Dhaliwal's appointment to the Health Ministry was rescinded May 15, and she was made a ministerial adviser to the labour minister that same day.
In a statement issued Friday, the prosecution service says special prosecutors are appointed to avoid any appearance of “improper influence” over the administration of justice in cases involving elected officials or government appointees.
Opposition BC United MLA Peter Milobar said Friday that the party welcomes Gordon's appointment, calling it “deeply troubling” that Dhaliwal was given a government appointment after the allegations came to light.
“David Eby should do the right thing and put this adviser on leave until the investigation is complete,” Milobar said.
Government officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 26, 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'He's in our hearts': Family and friends still seek answers one year after Nathan Wise’s disappearance
It’s been a year since Nathan Wise went missing and his family is no closer to finding out what happened to him.
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Ottawa pizzeria places among top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world at international competition
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
Wildfire near Fort McMurray more than triples overnight, several evacuation alerts remain in place
The fire burning near Fort McMurray grew from 25 hectares to 5,500 hectares over the weekend.
Putin replaces Russian defence minister in rare cabinet shakeup
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin began a Cabinet shakeup on Sunday, proposing the replacement of Sergei Shoigu as defence minister as he begins his fifth term in office.
Man fatally 'slashed in the neck' in downtown Toronto, suspect outstanding
Police are searching for a male suspect after a man was “slashed in neck” on Sunday morning in downtown Toronto and died.
WATCH Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
Edibles, armchairs and adapters: Here are the recalls for this week
Health Canada announced various product recalls this week, including electric adapters, armchairs, cannabis edibles and vehicle components.