Updated: Tue Nov. 11 2008 23:44:53

ctvbc.ca

There's a strange new twist in the ongoing controversy over a secret loan guarantee from City Hall to the developers of the 2010 Olympic Village project in Vancouver.

Non-Partisan Association mayoral candidate Peter Ladner revealed Monday that a sensitive document assigned to him at an in-camera meeting last month went missing.

At that meeting,councillors heard about and voted on the now infamous Olympic Village Loan agreement. Ladner insisted Monday that he left the meeting empty handed.

"Somebody picked it up and took it away and dumped it on (NPA Councillor) BC Lee's desk,'' he said.

But the document didn't show up on his desk until two days after the meeting, raising the question as to who had it during that time. City councillors and senior city staff were the only ones in the room.

"The information was leaked to the media and it appeared the same day Gregor Robertson's fare evasion story hit the front page of the Vancouver sun,'' said Ladner.

"Peter Ladner has been saying that in fact that it is Vision Vancouver who are the source of the leak,'' said Vision Councillor Tim Stevenson. "Well now we know that it absolutely was not.''

Meanwhile, the mystery about the employment status of the city's finance director is deepening.

Gregor Robertson wants clarity

Depending on who a reporter talks to Estelle Lo has either resigned, was fired, or is visiting her mother in Hong Kong.

CTV went to Lo's office looking for answers. But a CTV reporter was told that he would have to

speak to the city's communications department.

It's not clear if Lo was even at the in-camera loan guarantee meeting, or if she had any concerns about the deal to extend a loan to the Olympic Village developer, as Vision Vancouver suggests.

"I don't know the situation with Estelle Lo and would love to have some clarity," said Vision mayoral candidate Gregor Robertson.

City Hall watcher Frances Bula says Vision's strategy of raising concerns may be politically convenient. But she says it is also disingenuous considering Vision is fully aware the deal with Olympic developer Millennium has many safeguards to protect taxpayers.

"They've chosen to emphasize the fact that they have questions which plays right into people's fears about secrecy, Olympic overruns and everything else at city hall that they don't really actually understand very well," said Bula.

With a report by CTV British Columbia's Mike Killeen.

Comments are now closed for this story

Peter
Maybe it is better for the taxpayers to have these deals made in private - but put that question to the public. The smug attitude of the current Sullivan regime is about to finally be replaced... and not soon enough!