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| '''Erik Bornman''' (b. ]) is a |
'''Erik Bornman''' (b. ]) is a former consultant founding partner of Pilothouse Public Affairs and a current articling student at the law firm ] in ]. His political involvement began as a teenager in high school and continued throughout his university years, having been a former President of the ] (British Columbia) as well as holding executive posts with the Liberal Party of Canada in BC. He holds a B.Comm. degree from the University of Victoria and a LL.B. from University of British Columbia. | ||
| ==Young Liberals== | ==Young Liberals== | ||
| As a former |
As a former President of the Young Liberals in BC, Erik Bornman helped build that organisation to eventually become one of the strongest voices in the Liberal Party of Canada. Though there have often been competing views and competing personalities as is apt to occur in the political sphere, one thing is certain: Bornman worked hard to ensure young liberals had their voices heard loud and clear and helped build the organisation into the political force it is today. | ||
| ⚫ | As an advocate of the "University Model Parliament", in 1999 Bornman commented to Simon Fraser University's student newspaper: | ||
| According to a former member of the Young Liberals at UVIC, where Bornman first made his name: | |||
| ''"I have to say he always struck me as a conceited prick who was only interested in clawing his way to the top. (I'd have said that since I met him too, and not just now that he's part of a criminal investigation). He was involved with the Young Liberals at UVic while I was there, and one of his supporters actually paid for my Liberal membership one year so I'd go to a meeting and vote for the President of the Young Liberals of BC party. (I guess I was supposed to vote for him... I thought it was a little weird at the time that his supporter could buy me a political party membership... I wonder where the money really came from?"'' | |||
| Interestingly, it was against Federal Liberal Party policy at the time for someone to pay for someone else's membership. | |||
| Bornman earned his nickname "Spiderman" after he entered a locked federal Liberal Party office through the ceiling in order to obtain the BC membership list. | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| ''" offers students the opportunity to gain a better understanding of their political affiliations." By interacting with students from their own and other parties, it allows them to gain a clearer picture of Canada's current political arena. He also said that the experience offers him a chance to "get (my) fix as a political junkie."'' | ''" offers students the opportunity to gain a better understanding of their political affiliations." By interacting with students from their own and other parties, it allows them to gain a clearer picture of Canada's current political arena. He also said that the experience offers him a chance to "get (my) fix as a political junkie."'' | ||
| As a young person, Bornman helped build Pilothouse Public Affairs into a strong government relations firm. In December of 2004, Bornman's name was raised by the media and RCMP in relation to a legislative investigation involving former government aides David Basi and Bob Virk. Bornman was later cleared by the RCMP. | |||
| In 1999, Young Liberal President Bornman organized a federal Young Liberal convention in Victoria’s Traveller's Inn that turned into a drunken hotel-trashing. The party was sued for $10,000 in damages by owner John Asfar but settled out of court. | |||
| Surprisingly, in 2003 Bornman turned up as the registered lobbyist for John Asfar's efforts to locate a casino in a Victoria hotel. Controversy erupted in February when some phony letters supporting the plan were posted on the casino proponent's Web site. | |||
| But in an email to Bill Tielman of ], after he reported on Bornman’s lobbying record, Asfar claimed that Bornman never lobbied government on behalf of his company. | |||
| ''“Secondly, Eric Bowman has never lobbied for me or any of my related companies with Government! Not once!!! He was hired by our company to introduce us to a private casino operator in Wells, BC (The Jack O’ clubs Casino operation). ….,” Asfar wrote on March 18, 2004. “He prematurely and proactively registered my company and his company without our consent or any contractual agreement. He was forward marketing himself and anticipated presumptuously that our relationship would expand if he was successful in the introducing us to the casino owners.”'' | |||
| ==Political Consultant== | ==Political Consultant== | ||
| Bornman was |
Bornman was a founding partner with Pilothouse Public Affairs, a respected government relations firm based in Victoria, BC. Pilothouse had a large client base, though media scrutiny came through their role as registered provincial lobbyists for OmniTRAX, the US-based rail company that was bidding for the billion dollar BC Rail deal against eventual winner CN Rail and CP Rail. Although there were allegation of breach of fairness, it is important to note that OmniTRAX were not the successful winners in the tendering process for BC Rail. A second tender was abandoned by the goverment to ensure the integrity of the tendering process not be diluted by possible information leaks or a perception of unfairness. It is still not clear if Mr. Bornman had any role or knowledge regarding the alleged leaks of information. | ||
| ==RCMP Investigation |
==RCMP Investigation== | ||
| On December 28, 2003 police executed search warrants at the BC Legislature and the homes and offices of prominent Liberals in connection with an investigation into drug dealing, organized crime, and the BC Rail privatization deal. Several high ranking provincial and federal Liberal Party supporters were served. The principles include ], ministerial assistant to Finance Minister ], and ], ministerial assistant to thentransportation minister Judith Reid. | On December 28, 2003 police executed search warrants at the BC Legislature and the homes and offices of prominent Liberals in connection with an investigation into drug dealing, organized crime, and the BC Rail privatization deal. Several high ranking provincial and federal Liberal Party supporters were served. The principles include ], ministerial assistant to Finance Minister ], and ], ministerial assistant to thentransportation minister Judith Reid. | ||
| Four other search warrants were also executed: at Basi's home; at Bornman's home office; at the Victoria office of Pilothouse Public Affairs, the firm owned by Bornman and former Province newspaper columnist Brian Kieran; and at the home office of Bruce Clark, another federal B.C. Liberal executive member and brother to deputy premier ]. | Four other search warrants were also executed: at Basi's home; at Bornman's home office; at the Victoria office of Pilothouse Public Affairs, the firm owned by Bornman and former Province newspaper columnist Brian Kieran; and at the home office of Bruce Clark, another federal B.C. Liberal executive member and brother to deputy premier ]. | ||
| The search-warrant "information to obtain" or ITO released by police in September, 2004 claim that Bornman offered provincial ministerial aides Dave Basi and Bob Virk a benefit |
The search-warrant "information to obtain" or ITO released by police in September, 2004 claim that Bornman offered provincial ministerial aides Dave Basi and Bob Virk a benefit of assistance with finding jobs with the federal Liberal government in exchange for obtaining confidential information about the BC Rail deals. This has never been confirmed and RCMP have cleared Bornman from the case, though Basi and Virk face multiple charges of fraud, bribery and influence-peddling. Basi also faces separate charges of production and possession of drugs for the purposes of trafficking. | ||
| It is claimed that Basi and Virk had given Bornman résumés with "flaws and fabrications" regarding their academic records , and these were forwarded them to ], who sent them on to the prime minister's office unaware they were inaccurate. This allegation has never been proven, nor if this is the case is it proven whether Bornman was aware that there were errors or misrepresentations in the résumés given to him. | |||
| forwarded them to ], who sent them on to the prime minister's office unaware they were inaccurate. | |||
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| Recently, Bornman was hired as an articling student at Canada's largest law firm, McCarthy Tétrault (Toronto). | Recently, Bornman was hired as an articling student at Canada's largest law firm, McCarthy Tétrault (Toronto). | ||
| It is also rumoured that he is back with the Federal Liberals in Ontario. | |||
| ==External links== | ==External links== | ||
Revision as of 21:20, 22 March 2006
Erik Bornman (b. 1976) is a former consultant founding partner of Pilothouse Public Affairs and a current articling student at the law firm McCarthy Tétrault in Toronto. His political involvement began as a teenager in high school and continued throughout his university years, having been a former President of the Young Liberals of Canada (British Columbia) as well as holding executive posts with the Liberal Party of Canada in BC. He holds a B.Comm. degree from the University of Victoria and a LL.B. from University of British Columbia.
Young Liberals
As a former President of the Young Liberals in BC, Erik Bornman helped build that organisation to eventually become one of the strongest voices in the Liberal Party of Canada. Though there have often been competing views and competing personalities as is apt to occur in the political sphere, one thing is certain: Bornman worked hard to ensure young liberals had their voices heard loud and clear and helped build the organisation into the political force it is today.
As an advocate of the "University Model Parliament", in 1999 Bornman commented to Simon Fraser University's student newspaper:
" offers students the opportunity to gain a better understanding of their political affiliations." By interacting with students from their own and other parties, it allows them to gain a clearer picture of Canada's current political arena. He also said that the experience offers him a chance to "get (my) fix as a political junkie."
As a young person, Bornman helped build Pilothouse Public Affairs into a strong government relations firm. In December of 2004, Bornman's name was raised by the media and RCMP in relation to a legislative investigation involving former government aides David Basi and Bob Virk. Bornman was later cleared by the RCMP.
Political Consultant
Bornman was a founding partner with Pilothouse Public Affairs, a respected government relations firm based in Victoria, BC. Pilothouse had a large client base, though media scrutiny came through their role as registered provincial lobbyists for OmniTRAX, the US-based rail company that was bidding for the billion dollar BC Rail deal against eventual winner CN Rail and CP Rail. Although there were allegation of breach of fairness, it is important to note that OmniTRAX were not the successful winners in the tendering process for BC Rail. A second tender was abandoned by the goverment to ensure the integrity of the tendering process not be diluted by possible information leaks or a perception of unfairness. It is still not clear if Mr. Bornman had any role or knowledge regarding the alleged leaks of information.
RCMP Investigation
On December 28, 2003 police executed search warrants at the BC Legislature and the homes and offices of prominent Liberals in connection with an investigation into drug dealing, organized crime, and the BC Rail privatization deal. Several high ranking provincial and federal Liberal Party supporters were served. The principles include David Basi, ministerial assistant to Finance Minister Gary Collins, and Bob Virk, ministerial assistant to thentransportation minister Judith Reid.
Four other search warrants were also executed: at Basi's home; at Bornman's home office; at the Victoria office of Pilothouse Public Affairs, the firm owned by Bornman and former Province newspaper columnist Brian Kieran; and at the home office of Bruce Clark, another federal B.C. Liberal executive member and brother to deputy premier Christy Clark.
The search-warrant "information to obtain" or ITO released by police in September, 2004 claim that Bornman offered provincial ministerial aides Dave Basi and Bob Virk a benefit of assistance with finding jobs with the federal Liberal government in exchange for obtaining confidential information about the BC Rail deals. This has never been confirmed and RCMP have cleared Bornman from the case, though Basi and Virk face multiple charges of fraud, bribery and influence-peddling. Basi also faces separate charges of production and possession of drugs for the purposes of trafficking.
It is claimed that Basi and Virk had given Bornman résumés with "flaws and fabrications" regarding their academic records , and these were forwarded them to Mark Marissen, who sent them on to the prime minister's office unaware they were inaccurate. This allegation has never been proven, nor if this is the case is it proven whether Bornman was aware that there were errors or misrepresentations in the résumés given to him.
Current whereabouts
Recently, Bornman was hired as an articling student at Canada's largest law firm, McCarthy Tétrault (Toronto).