Former 91原创 RCMP Insp. Amrik Virk, who is now a Surrey MLA and the minister of advanced education, simply can鈥檛 shake his pursuers.
Opposition critics have dogged him for months over his actions while a member of the Kwantlen Polytechnic University board of directors. Those actions centred around extra payments to try and entice top people to come to work for the university.
Word is now coming out that Virk was directly involved in the discussions by the Kwantlen board in 2011 as to how to get around the provincial salary guidelines. An nvolving Virk was revealed by the NDP on Monday.
He and other members of the board were trying to get around guidelines set by the province, to try and keep salary spending at post-secondary institutions in check.
An earlier internal investigation by assistant deputy minister Rob Mingay determined board members were not involved in decisions to pay executives more than provincial rules allowed. The email seems to contradict that finding. Virk said he had forgotten about the email. Finance Minister Mike de Jong has now asked Mingay to reopen the investigation.
Given the fact that Virk is now the minister in charge of advanced education, and ultimately the enforcer of salary guidelines, his hold on his portfolio is shaky at best.
Perhaps the best option for Premier Christy Clark, who is the ultimate decider, would be to move Virk to another portfolio. He still has a lot to offer to cabinet.
