B.C.’s attorney general says he’s hoping a federal election campaign won’t get in the way of Ottawa fully co-operating with the province to deal with serious money-laundering issues.
David Eby says he’s more hopeful after a meeting with Organized Crime Minister Bill Blair, who has agreed to share RCMP information on money laundering that wasn’t given to B.C. but did make it to an international report.
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Blair stood beside Eby at a news conference in Vancouver and said the issue of money being funnelled through provincial casinos has a national impact and he wants to assure Canadians the federal government will deal with it more effectively.
Eby later said time will tell if there are gaps between Blair’s commitment and the actions his department is willing to take in the short window before an election campaign gets underway.
The attorney general has said he was shocked the federal government knew an estimated $1 billion a year was being laundered in B.C., affecting everything from real estate to horse racing and luxury cars.
In November, Eby expressed his dismay after federal prosecutors stayed charges against a B.C. company and two of its operators allegedly involved in money laundering and he says a public inquiry has not been ruled out.
The Canadian Press
