Vaughn Palmer: Former premier and Pattison executive Clark has been named chair of the board at B.C. Hydro, under new Energy Minister Dix.
VICTORIA — When Glen Clark retired two years ago as president of the Jim Pattison group, the former premier let it be known that he was ready, willing and able to help out the current NDP government.
“I would like to do something if I could that would be helpful on some issues,” said Clark. “Where I can be the most help, you know.”
He further suggested that he would be a good choice to head up B.C. Housing.
“The premier’s made a bunch of commitments on housing that I completely laud him for, so now they’ve got to execute,” Clark told Andrew McLeod of the Tyee.
Then again: “They may feel my knowledge could be better used somewhere else, and I’d be interested in that, too, as long as it’s something worthwhile that would allow me to make a difference.”
There was also this testimonial from the namesake of the Jim Pattison group, where Clark worked and thrived for 22 years.
“Glen’s a good worker, a hard worker, and he’s got a lot of common sense. He’s decisive. We like Glen a lot,” the legendary billionaire told John Mackie of Postmedia.
That is where matters stood as of early January 2023. But as the weeks gave way to months, there was no sign that the government had taken up Clark’s offer. He wasn’t interested in a functionary position, and apparently that was all the David Eby government had to offer.
Clark continued to serve as Pattison’s representative on the boards of Canfor and Western Terminals. He became a senior advisor to Rogers Communications and CEO of the Overstory Media Group.
He also offered some unsolicited advice to the premier during a B.C. Business Summit in June of this year. The Eby government should shift its attention from “wealth distribution” to “wealth creation,” said Clark.
By the time the election rolled around, it was easy to forget that Clark had ever offered his services or been rebuffed.
“Premier David Eby has tasked me with moving our province’s clean-energy agenda forward,” said Energy Minister Adrian Dix. “That’s why I am taking action to ensure that we have the knowledge, experience and skill set on B.C. Hydro’s board of directors.”
Three other directors were named as well, including Canfor president Don Kayne. But Clark was the key. There was no overlooking the deep connection between him and the energy minister.
When Clark was premier in the 1990s, Dix served as his chief political adviser. The two also shared a condo near the legislature.
Rare was the political issue on which Dix did not serve as Clark’s eyes and ears. When Clark was accused of meddling in casino licensing on behalf of a friend, his denial was backstopped by a memo from Dix. It declared that the premier had ordered staff to “insulate” him from the licensing issue.
Later, it came out that Dix had typed up the memo months after the order was supposedly given. Then he backdated it using the official stamp from the premier’s office.
Dix was fired. Clark resigned as premier not long afterward because he was facing a criminal investigation over the casino licence. He was acquitted on a charge of breach of trust, but was found to have twice violated the province’s conflict of interest legislation.
Clark was hired by Pattison while still embroiled in the criminal case. Over two decades, he climbed to the top of the Pattison Group, no small feat working for one of the most demanding bosses anywhere.
Dix came back as well, winning election in Clark’s old seat in 2005. He later won the party leadership, then lost the election, but bounced back to serve as health minister in the John Horgan and Eby governments.
In the post-election shuffle, the premier named Dix energy minister with instructions to “increase and expand electricity (generation) and low-carbon energy projects in B.C.”
Eby says Hydro is moving too slowly: “It takes eight to 10 years to fulfill a request from industry for the kind of electricity that they are looking for. We have to speed that up.”
His government this month waived independent environmental reviews for nine new wind power projects, all the while insisting — trust them — that “robust environmental permitting processes will remain in place.”
The need is “urgent,” says Dix. That theme should sit well with the new board chair at Hydro.
The retiring chair, Lori Wanamaker, is a career public servant. Clark is the furthest thing from a bureaucrat.
As premier, Clark famously declared that “process is for cheese.” He also branded Greenpeace and other critics of provincial forest policies as “enemies of B.C.”
Eby says all nine wind farms must be up and running by 2031. He also wants Hydro to pick up the pace with new calls for generation proposals every two years.
If anyone can deliver on that timetable, it is probably the hard-driving combination of minister Dix and board chair Clark.