Premier Clark's former husband is not the only Liberal party connection involved in Pacific Future Energy's refinery proposal, which is looking for billions in financing. There is a whole cabal of Liberals working for the firm.
A team of former federal Liberal backroom strategists has partnered with a technology startup specialist and an executive from a Mexican-owned telecom with adream of building a $10-billion oil refinery on B.C.'s north coast.
Pacific Future Energy's proposal, like B.C. newspaper baron David Black's 2012-hatched Kitimat Clean, relies on both approval and construction of the contentious Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline. Both are looking for billions in financing, but the June 10-announced bitumen refinery bid claims it would be powered by a combination of natural gas and renewable energy.
The federal Conservatives are expected to announce its decision on Northern Gateway any day now. If approved, opponents have vowed to fight it in court.
Mark Marissen, a one-time lobbyist for Enbridge, is listed as executive vice-president of communications and research on Pacific Future Energy Corp.'s masthead. Marissen and Premier Christy Clark were once married, and share joint custody of a son. Marissen worked on Clark's 2013 election campaign, leading Clark to make the extraordinary pledge not to be involved in any cabinet discussion or decision about oil refineries.
It is not clear when Clark found out about Pacific Future Energy. She told reporters at a news conference yesterday that she learned the "proposal was going to become something real last week" and then contacted Paul Fraser, conflict of interest commissioner, for advice. ...
The company's executive vice-president of government and regulatory affairs is Jamie Carroll, a lobbyist with Ottawa-based Tactix. Carroll resigned as national director of the Liberal Party of Canada in October 2007. Most recently, he was chair of Joyce Murray's leadership campaign. His bio says he has "focussed principally on the defence, mining, oil and gas, telecommunications, pharmaceutical and gaming sectors since leaving government." ...
Vice-president of Indigenous Partnership is Jeffrey Copenace, the former deputy chief of staff to ex-Assembly of First Nations national chief Shawn Atleo and an ex-aide to Prime Minister Paul Martin. ...
Roop Virk is the Chilliwack-based chief of staff. The former policy chair for the federal Liberals in B.C., Virk worked with Marissen on Stéphane Dion's winning Liberal leadership campaign. Virk attended a posh Christmas party thrown by Marissen for a close circle of Liberals last December at the Glowbal Restaurant in Yaletown.
Virk has occasionally written letters to the editors of B.C. newspapers, not identifying his party affiliation, but boosting Clark and her policies on resources. "Despite what some folks seem to think, the real job creators and revenue generators in this province continue to be our natural resource sectors of mining, forestry, oil, gas and coal," said Virk's May 21, 2014 letter to The Province. ...
http://www.thetyee.ca/News/2014/06/11/Who-is-Behind-New-Oil-Refinery-Bid/