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Jury throws the book at Zalm; former premier, Fantasy Gardens king found guilty

A Supreme Court jury on Thursday ordered former premier Bill Vander Zalm to pay $60,000 in damages for defaming ex- conflict of interest commissioner Ted Hughes.

A Supreme Court jury on Thursday ordered former premier Bill Vander Zalm to pay $60,000 in damages for defaming ex- conflict of interest commissioner Ted Hughes.

The award came after a day of deliberations by the seven-member jury and a one-week trial in Vancouver.

"I must tell you that I'm satisfied with the judgment," said Hughes, 84, outside court. "I've been in the justice system for over 60 years and it was a very real experience seeing it operate so well from the other side.

"I'm grateful for the study and the attention the jury gave the matter."

Vander Zalm, 77, who was present throughout the trial and gave testimony, wasn't present in court for the verdict.

But reached by phone Thursday, he said he was "very disappointed" with the verdict.

"I had my book checked out by two lawyers before it was published to make sure it wasn't libellous, but I guess the jury saw it differently."

Vander Zalm, who was premier from 1986 to 1991 when he was forced to resign over the Fantasy Gardens scandal, said what disappointed him most was the length of time it took Hughes to sue him.

"He didn't do anything about it, then he saw me on TV being successful with the fight against the HST and he decided to sue me. That bothered me."

Hughes had alleged that passages in Vander Zalm's 2008 autobiography had libelled him. The lawsuit was filed in October 2010. In addition to the damages, Vander Zalm was ordered to remove most of the defamatory passages in any further publications of the 654-page tome.

Geoffrey Gomery, a lawyer for Hughes, told B.C. Supreme Court Justice Laura Gerow that, given the circumstances of the case, the ex-premier should pay Hughes double the normal legal costs. Tim Delaney, a lawyer for Vander Zalm, said that regular costs should be ordered. The judge reserved her decision until Feb. 28.

Hughes claimed the book Bill Vander Zalm For the People contains passages that suggest he was self-interested, biased and politically motivated in conducting the inquiry into the sale of Fantasy, a theme park owned by Vander Zalm.

Both men testified at trial, with Hughes saying he felt the need to set the record straight and found the book depressing, unfair and untrue. Vander Zalm denied he had defamed Hughes, and said the inquiry was an intimidating and strange process for him.

The only other witness, ex-premier Mike Harcourt, testified to the impeccable reputation of Hughes, who's a former Saskatchewan judge and ex-B.C. deputy attorney-general.

In 1991, Vander Zalm asked Hughes to look into claims that the then-premier had mixed his public and private life in his sale of the theme park in Richmond.

The colourful affair featured Vander Zalm receiving $20,000 US from a Taiwanese billionaire in a Vancouver hotel in the middle of the night. The ex-premier claimed the money was given to him for safe-keeping, but Hughes said he didn't accept that explanation.

Hughes concluded Vander Zalm had violated conflict of interest guidelines. Vander Zalm immediately resigned.

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