EGINA - With just a day left before the Legislative session for the current term ends, the opposition New Democrats launched fresh attacks on the Sask Party over ethics and conflict of interest issues.
Opposition members hammered the Sask Party on a host of ethics complaints. Among the items raised:
Ethics and Democracy Critic Meara Conway called for a conflict of interest investigation into Education Minister Jeremy Cockrill, over $179,137.46 in contracts from the Battleford Housing Authority to Fortress Windows and Doors. Cockrill had worked as a salesperson on the side for Fortress Windows and Doors during 2020 and 2021. Conway also noted SaskTel had signed contracts of $9000 with Fortress Windows and Doors those same years.
Conway also requested an investigation into Sask Party MLA Gary Grewal for an increase in government business to $731,194 to two hotels that he had owned, Sunrise Motel and Thriftlodge in Regina.
Regina University MLA Aleana Young also roasted the government over board members for SaskPower having contributed over $596,472 in donations to the Sask. Party.
Opposition members also raised grievances about ex-Sask Party Finance Minister Kevin Doherty lobbying, about lax "Wild West" campaign finance laws, and a host of other issues.
The NDP then introduced a series of private members bills include The Members’ Conflict of Interest Amendment Act, The Lobbyists Transparency Amendment Act, The Election (Fairness and Accountability) Amendment Act, The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Amendment Act, and The Child and Family Services (Betty’s Law) Amendment Act.
That move drew an outraged reaction from Minister of Justice and Attorney General Bronwyn Eyre, who said “that side has had four years to introduce these bills, Mr. Speaker."
"It’s a stunt. We don’t have to stunt. Our commitment to transparency is serious, it’s deep, and it is long-standing, Mr. Speaker.”
All five NDP bills are poised to die on the order paper when the Assembly is dissolved for the provincial election expected this fall.
Following Question Period, reporters who gathered for the daily scrum hoped Minister Cockrill would address the conflict of interest accusations hurled at him by the Opposition that day.
Instead, the government sent out Energy, Mines and Resources Minister Jim Reiter, who launched a broadside against the NDP over their recent campaign in the Assembly of ‘smearing’ Sask Party members.
“I’m out here because we’ve collectively decided that over the last number of weeks we’ve all seen the Opposition raise insinuations and allegations against former members of the House, against private citizens, the province, today members of a Crown board of directors — yet with no evidence of anything other than allegations and attempt at smearing private citizens, bullying them against voting for a specific party,” said Reiter.
“So the reason I’m here is to say we’re not going to do that anymore. If the NDP have evidence of wrongdoing, they need to go to the appropriate authorities and deal with that. Today, the critic mentioned about Mr. Cockrill that she filed a request with the Conflict of Interest Commissioner. Fine. We’ll wait for a response from the Conflict of Interest Commissioner, that’s how it should be dealt with. It’s very disturbing thinking that somehow in the Assembly that we’ve got their members in there, thinking that if private citizens vote for anybody other than the NDP that somehow they’re not fit to serve on boards or agencies in government.”
When asked about the specific allegations by Conway against Cockrill, Reiter said he did not know. “My understanding, we are all required to file our business interest with the Conflict of Interest commissioner, I believe he’d be well aware of that. We’ll wait for what he says. In this case, I don’t know what the allegations are. She raises it, but doesn’t provide evidence of any wrongdoing.”
Following that, reporters heard from Conway, who said the things that the bills address were “things that have been going for a long time, long-standing issues.”
She made it known ethics would be a key policy plank of the NDP going into an election.
“You know, we’re in an election year and the commitments that we’ve made in these bills will make up part of our platform. This is our commitment, this is our very public commitment to the people of Saskatchewan that these are our values, and this is what we would do and this is what a Saskatchewan NDP government would do. I make no bones about that.”
