NDP takes complaint of lobbying by B.C. Liberal insider to RCMP, justice official

B.C.'s Official Opposition party has gone to the RCMP with its concerns about alleged lobbying by a well-connected Liberal insider in violation of a provincial law.

The allegations concern former B.C. Liberal campaign co-chairman Patrick Kinsella, whose name does not appear on the province's list of registered lobbyists.

Leonard Krog, the NDP's critic for the Attorney General's Ministry, said Friday that he has provided police with 75 pages of documents, many obtained through freedom of information legislation, about Kinsella's alleged lobbying activities.

"I think it should concern all British Columbians that the co-chair of the Liberal campaign, two times the co-chair, appears to be lobbying … and is not registered to lobby," Krog said.

Krog said there are concerns Kinsella may have lobbied former solicitor general John Les on behalf of a payday loan company, although under the province's seven-year-old Lobbyists Registration Act, registration is mandatory.

Krog also sent copies of the documents to assistant deputy attorney general Robert Gillen, head of B.C.'s criminal justice branch, and provided them to B.C.'s lobbyist registrar, David Loukidelis, this summer.

But lawyers for Kinsella maintained Loukidelis has no power to investigate and said their client will not co-operate.

Early Friday, Loukidelis posted a statement on his office's website saying he would review the matter, but would not comment.

Kinsella did not return calls and his lawyer, Paul Cassidy, declined to comment.