Money laundering inquiry delayed over B.C. election, commissioner says

The head of B.C.s money laundering inquiry has delayed the resumption of hearings because of the B.C. election.

Austin Cullen says the hearings will start again on Oct. 26, two days after the provincial election is to be held.

B.C.'s New Democrat government launched the inquiry after reports that illegal cash was helping to fuel the real estate, luxury car and gambling sectors.

Cullen says in a statement he delayed the hearings to preserve the independence of the commission and to protect the integrity of the electoral process.

The inquiry was to resume on Oct. 13, and Cullen says he was told the inquiry would hear about issues that had been identified, but not the complete evidence, and that could invite speculation.

He says difficulty arises because some, but not all, of the evidence would be made public during the election, running "an unacceptable risk of undermining the public's confidence in the independence of the commission.''

No significant effect on inquiry timeline

Brock Martland, one of the commission's eight lawyers, said the decision to delay the hearings was not an easy one. 

"There are decent arguments on either side whether we continue or hold off," Martland said. 

But ultimately, he said, their collective view was to prioritize the independence of the commission. 

"This is non-partisan, independent commission. We have no interest in becoming or being political, or for that matter, becoming a political football to be thrown into a scrum in the middle of an election," he said.

Both Martland and Cullen say the delay of two weeks won't have a significant effect on the overall timeline of the commission's work.

"It's a relatively short delay," Martland said, noting the two week delay is more of a logistical issue for the nearly two-year long commission. 

The commission was formed on May 15, 2019, and is set to deliver its final report in May 2021.