Latest news with #HeatherStefanson
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
NDP government reviewing $18M Manitoba rail port grant PCs made before 2023 election
Manitoba's finance minister says the province is reviewing what he called a "mysterious" decision by the former Progressive Conservative government to give $18 million to a company planning to develop a rail port south of Winnipeg, without any public disclosure, only five weeks before the last provincial election. On Aug. 29, 2023, Heather Stefanson's PC government issued the $18-million grant to JohnQ Public Inc., a company owned by 12 rural Manitoba municipalities, to develop a regional rail port in the rural municipality of Ritchot. The cash was intended to allow JohnQ to purchase land west of Highway 75 for the rail park, and conduct engineering and environmental assessments, according to the province. The Stefanson government did not issue a press release about the grant. One week later, the then premier kicked off the campaign period for the October election, which the PCs lost to Wab Kinew's NDP. "That's kind of mysterious, when a government sends $18 million out the door," NDP Finance Minister Adrien Sala said in a Thursday interview in his office. "It is extremely unusual to issue a grant of that magnitude without communicating anything to Manitobans." Several provincial departments are now trying to answer questions about the grant for the rail port, Sala said, which could require the construction of a new overpass on Highway 75, as well as a ring dike around the project to protect it from a one-in-200-year Red River flood. He also compared the grant to Stefanson government efforts to approve a silica sand mine licence during what's referred to as the caretaker period — after the PCs lost the election, but before the NDP assumed office. "We need transparency when it comes to decision making. Manitobans deserve to know how that $18 million was spent, and we're going to get some answers," said Sala. 'Fishing expedition': Tories He did not say why the province is asking questions about the project now. Weeks after the 2023 election, Jamie Moses — the NDP minister for business, mining, trade and job creation — said the province was reviewing economic development projects that he said did not receive proper scrutiny by the former PC government. Sala said the review is sparked by the size of the grant, the lack of public disclosure and questions about what the province will receive in exchange for the $18 million. "The issue here is that we have no clarity over what that prospective return is, and when you pair that with the lack of transparency over how this went down, that's a concern," he said. JohnQ Public is already under NDP government scrutiny. In April, the Kinew government asked Manitoba's auditor general to review a $100-million daycare construction program, initiated by the former PC government. JohnQ project managed that with the help of Boom Done Next, a company co-owned by Marni Larkin, the director of the PCs' 2023 re-election campaign. In a statement, the now Opposition PCs said they welcome the results of any scrutiny of the JohnQ Public rail port grant. "The NDP's current fascination with JohnQ Public is nothing more than a fishing expedition," said Wayne Ewasko, the Tory MLA for Lac du Bonnet. "Our PC government, along with the federal Liberal government, provided funding for hundreds of desperately needed child care spaces and other projects in the capital region." Announcement 'on the horizon': JohnQ CEO But the finance minister also said it's unclear what else the province will have to pay for to allow the rail port to proceed. "There's potential need for a new ring dike. There is a new need for an overpass. These are things that can be in the range of hundreds of millions of dollars," said Sala. "As we look at the decision that was made here, we have to understand what the implications are." A progress report prepared by JohnQ Public for the NDP government in July 2024 stated the company was negotiating an agreement with Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway, also known as BNSF, to serve as an anchor tenant and rail operator at the new rail port. BNSF, which operates a north-south rail line that terminates in Winnipeg, did not respond to a CBC News request for comment. Colleen Sklar, John Q Public's CEO, said Thursday in a statement she can't discuss the proposed Ritchot project because all the parties involved "remain under a non-disclosure agreement." Sklar said "a significant announcement is on the horizon" that "represents a transformative investment and an exciting new chapter for our region." She did not respond to a subsequent request for comment on Sala's statements about the grant. John Q Public board chair Brad Erb, who is also the reeve of the RM of Macdonald, said he was not available for comment on Friday. CentrePort, an existing multi-modal trade area that straddles the border between Winnipeg and the RM of Rosser, also includes a 270-hectare rail park that is in the process of being developed. CentrePort CEO Carly Edmundson declined to comment on the public funding for the Ritchot project or how it would affect CentrePort. Ken Mulligan, the reeve of the RM of Rosser, said there are a number of projects that aim to capitalize on Manitoba's transportation connectivity and central location. "With the growth and success of CentrePort being recognized across the country, as well as the focus on trade, it makes sense that many are thinking about their growth strategies," Mulligan said in a statement. Sala's office said if the Ritchot rail port does not proceed, there are provisions in the funding agreement that allow the province to demand JohnQ Public transfer the title of the properties it bought to the province or a third party.
CBC
21-07-2025
- Business
- CBC
NDP government reviewing $18M Manitoba rail port grant PCs made before 2023 election
Manitoba's finance minister says the province is reviewing what he called a "mysterious" decision by the former Progressive Conservative government to give $18 million to a company planning to develop a rail port south of Winnipeg, without any public disclosure, only five weeks before the last provincial election. On Aug. 29, 2023, Heather Stefanson's PC government issued the $18-million grant to JohnQ Public Inc., a company owned by 12 rural Manitoba municipalities, to develop a regional rail port in the rural municipality of Ritchot. The cash was intended to allow JohnQ to purchase land west of Highway 75 for the rail park, and conduct engineering and environmental assessments, according to the province. The Stefanson government did not issue a press release about the grant. One week later, the then premier kicked off the campaign period for the October election, which the PCs lost to Wab Kinew's NDP. "That's kind of mysterious, when a government sends $18 million out the door," NDP Finance Minister Adrien Sala said in a Thursday interview in his office. "It is extremely unusual to issue a grant of that magnitude without communicating anything to Manitobans." Several provincial departments are now trying to answer questions about the grant for the rail port, Sala said, which could require the construction of a new overpass on Highway 75, as well as a ring dike around the project to protect it from a one-in-200-year Red River flood. He also compared the grant to Stefanson government efforts to approve a silica sand mine licence during what's referred to as the caretaker period — after the PCs lost the election, but before the NDP assumed office. "We need transparency when it comes to decision making. Manitobans deserve to know how that $18 million was spent, and we're going to get some answers," said Sala. 'Fishing expedition': Tories He did not say why the province is asking questions about the project now. Weeks after the 2023 election, Jamie Moses — the NDP minister for business, mining, trade and job creation — said the province was reviewing economic development projects that he said did not receive proper scrutiny by the former PC government. Sala said the review is sparked by the size of the grant, the lack of public disclosure and questions about what the province will receive in exchange for the $18 million. "The issue here is that we have no clarity over what that prospective return is, and when you pair that with the lack of transparency over how this went down, that's a concern," he said. JohnQ Public is already under NDP government scrutiny. In April, the Kinew government asked Manitoba's auditor general to review a $100-million daycare construction program, initiated by the former PC government. JohnQ project managed that with the help of Boom Done Next, a company co-owned by Marni Larkin, the director of the PCs' 2023 re-election campaign. In a statement, the now Opposition PCs said they welcome the results of any scrutiny of the JohnQ Public rail port grant. "The NDP's current fascination with JohnQ Public is nothing more than a fishing expedition," said Wayne Ewasko, the Tory MLA for Lac du Bonnet. "Our PC government, along with the federal Liberal government, provided funding for hundreds of desperately needed child care spaces and other projects in the capital region." Announcement 'on the horizon': JohnQ CEO But the finance minister also said it's unclear what else the province will have to pay for to allow the rail port to proceed. "There's potential need for a new ring dike. There is a new need for an overpass. These are things that can be in the range of hundreds of millions of dollars," said Sala. "As we look at the decision that was made here, we have to understand what the implications are." A progress report prepared by JohnQ Public for the NDP government in July 2024 stated the company was negotiating an agreement with Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway, also known as BNSF, to serve as an anchor tenant and rail operator at the new rail port. BNSF, which operates a north-south rail line that terminates in Winnipeg, did not respond to a CBC News request for comment. Colleen Sklar, John Q Public's CEO, said Thursday in a statement she can't discuss the proposed Ritchot project because all the parties involved "remain under a non-disclosure agreement." Sklar said "a significant announcement is on the horizon" that "represents a transformative investment and an exciting new chapter for our region." She did not respond to a subsequent request for comment on Sala's statements about the grant. John Q Public board chair Brad Erb, who is also the reeve of the RM of Macdonald, said he was not available for comment on Friday. CentrePort, an existing multi-modal trade area that straddles the border between Winnipeg and the RM of Rosser, also includes a 270-hectare rail park that is in the process of being developed. CentrePort CEO Carly Edmundson declined to comment on the public funding for the Ritchot project or how it would affect CentrePort. Ken Mulligan, the reeve of the RM of Rosser, said there are a number of projects that aim to capitalize on Manitoba's transportation connectivity and central location. "With the growth and success of CentrePort being recognized across the country, as well as the focus on trade, it makes sense that many are thinking about their growth strategies," Mulligan said in a statement. Sala's office said if the Ritchot rail port does not proceed, there are provisions in the funding agreement that allow the province to demand JohnQ Public transfer the title of the properties it bought to the province or a third party. NDP government reviewing $18M Manitoba rail port grant 4 minutes ago Manitoba's finance minister says the province is reviewing what he called a "mysterious" decision by the former Progressive Conservative government to give $18 million to a company planning to develop a rail port south of Winnipeg, just weeks before the last provincial election.
Winnipeg Free Press
10-06-2025
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
Unresolved questions require independent commission
Opinion Manitoba's ethics commissioner, Jeffrey Schnoor, recently released a report in which he concluded that former Progressive Conservative premier Heather Stefanson and two of her former cabinet ministers violated the province's conflict-of-interest laws after losing the 2023 election. They were accused of breaching the rules in an effort to approve the controversial Sio Silica sand mine during the short 'caretaker period' before the new NDP government was sworn in. Schnoor found that their actions 'lacked ethical and constitutional legitimacy,' but failed to identify what motivated them to act so recklessly. He says he found no evidence that any of the them acted for personal benefit but, if that wasn't the reason, why did they do it? MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Then-premier Heather Stefanson and finance minister Cliff Cullen announce the 2023 budget to media. Columnist Deveryn Ross says it's time to have an independent commission examine PC spending decisions. That's just one of many serious questions still swirling around the former government. Last week, Finance Minister Adrien Sala asked auditor general Tyson Shtykalo to investigate what went wrong with Manitoba Public Insurance's Project Nova technology project. MPI abandoned the program two months ago after a review estimated that total project costs had soared from $107 million to $435 million. The project was initially justified as an upgrade of MPI's digital capabilities, which would enable Manitobans to renew or amend their auto insurance and driver's licences online. It would also provide 'seamless connectivity' between MPI and repair shops. That was the hope back in 2020. Five years later, however, MPI Minister Matt Wiebe describes the program as a 'waste of taxpayers' money.' Where did all that money go, and why did MPI keep spending it? In April, the Kinew government asked Shtykalo to investigate an (almost) $100-million taxpayer-funded contract to build daycare facilities throughout the province. It alleges that the project, in which the province partnered with a company named JohnQ Public Inc., 'may not have followed normal provincial or municipal procurement practices.' Specifically, the government claims the contract enabled the previous government to funnel $2.8 million to Boom Done Next, a company owned by Marni Larkin. Larkin was the campaign manager for the Tories' 2023 doomed re-election campaign. How does a company earn almost $3 million on such a project? Two weeks ago, a CBC report revealed that the previous government gave an $18 million grant to JohnQ Public days before the 2023 provincial election was called. There was no public announcement of the funding, which was reportedly for a large land purchase in the RM of Ritchot to develop a proposed 'Winnipeg regional rail port.' Why the secrecy and rushed timing of the grant? In February, at a debate between PC Party leadership candidates Obby Khan and Wally Daudrich, Kahn alleged that Daudrich was the party's top donor for 12 years and accused him of receiving 'licensing permits up north under the table' from the previous government. Daudrich's company, Lazy Bear Lodge and Expeditions, first received approvals to operate off-road vehicle tours near Churchill in 2004. The total number of permits for all tour operators in the coastal plain of the Churchill Wildlife Management Area was limited to 18 between 1984 and 2020. Five years ago, however, the former Tory government reportedly approved two additional permits, both of which were awarded to Lazy Bear. Did Khan have inside knowledge that permits were improperly issued to Daudrich's company, or was his accusation simply bluster in the heat of the moment? There is no evidence that anybody acted improperly in these instances, let alone illegally, but there are many questions and few answers. Weekday Evenings Today's must-read stories and a roundup of the day's headlines, delivered every evening. The Kinew government and many Manitobans are counting on the auditor general to expose and explain the questionable conduct of the previous government, but their hopes may be overly optimistic. That's because Shtykalo has significant discretion as to which matters he chooses to investigate, and his office has limited resources. Even if he decides to review the issues referred to him, more than a year could pass before any reports are issued. That's neither good enough nor fast enough. The better, more efficient course of action is for the government to appoint an independent commissioner to investigate the many unresolved issues, and to give that commissioner the power to compel testimony and gather evidence if necessary. Manitobans deserve to know the truth. An independent commission is the best path to those answers. Deveryn Ross is a political commentator living in Brandon. deverynrossletters@ X: @deverynross
CBC
25-05-2025
- Politics
- CBC
A timeline of what we know about Manitoba silica sand project that led to fines for former premier, ministers
Hundreds of pages of text messages and phone records were among the evidence reviewed for a recent ethics commissioner report that helped paint a picture of how Manitoba's former premier and two of her cabinet ministers were found in violation of the province's conflict-of-interest law for improperly trying to push through approval of a silica sand mining project after their government lost power in 2023. The report, released this week, recommended fines totalling $40,000 against former Progressive Conservative premier Heather Stefanson, then-deputy premier Cliff Cullen and then-economic development minister Jeff Wharton for what ethics commissioner Jeffrey Schnoor described in a 100-page report as trying to get Alberta mining company Sio Silica's project in the province approved after losing the Oct. 3, 2023, election to the NDP. Schnoor found their actions in the days before Wab Kinew's NDP government was sworn in violated both the Conflict of Interest Act and what's known as the caretaker convention — where outgoing governments are supposed to only engage in urgent, routine, reversible or uncontroversial operations during the brief period before the next government is sworn in. While Schnoor said he found former cabinet minister Derek Johnson had been aware of the plan to seek approval of the licence during the transition period, he determined there was "insufficient evidence to demonstrate that he participated in the improper actions" and concluded he didn't contravene the act. Cullen did not seek re-election and Stefanson later resigned. Wharton and Johnson were both re-elected. The report details who did and said what as steps were taken to try to get the project's licence approved in the days after the general election — and whose stories the ethics commissioner suggested didn't quite add up. Schnoor's report also notes that while he recommended the fines against each person, the final decision on what to do ultimately lies with the legislative assembly, who will vote to either accept or reject his recommendations. Manitoba ethics commissioner recommends fines against former premier, 2 ministers 3 days ago Duration 2:22 A report by Manitoba's ethics commissioner says former premier Heather Stefanson and two of her cabinet ministers acted improperly by pushing for the approval of a silica sand mining project. Jeffrey Schnoor ruled their actions violated the Conflict of Interest Act and contravened what's commonly called the "caretaker convention" — a long-standing parliamentary principle that forbids outgoing governments from making major decisions in most cases. Here's a walk through the timeline described in the report — starting when the mining project was pitched to when Schnoor was asked to investigate. A controversial proposal Aug. 3, 2021: Alberta mining company Sio Silica submits what becomes a controversial proposal to mine silica sand in southeast Manitoba, known as the Vivian Sands Extraction Project. To move ahead, the project requires a Class 2 licence under The Environment Act. Soon, concerns about the project begin to mount, including from residents who fear the potential contamination of their drinking water. June 22, 2023: The Clean Environment Commission's report on the Sio Silica project is submitted, suggesting the project only move forward after the province gets more legal advice and a better understanding of possible risks. July 26, 2023: The province puts out a news release announcing it's signed a memorandum of understanding with German solar tech manufacturer RCT Solutions to explore building a solar panel manufacturing plant in Manitoba that it says could create 8,000 jobs. The CEOs of Sio Silica and RCT Solutions both later tell Manitoba's ethics commissioner that the project proceeding was contingent on having access to high-quality silica sand. A project in the works — and a loss of power Aug. 23, 2023: Stefanson and PC cabinet ministers Cullen, Wharton and Johnson attend a presentation to cabinet about the caretaker convention — where outgoing governments are supposed to only engage in urgent, routine, reversible or uncontroversial operations during the brief period before the next government is sworn in. Sept. 8, 2023: Cullen and his wife bump into Sio Silica CEO Feisal Somji at a Winnipeg Blue Bombers game, where Somji invites them to watch the game from a suite. Sept. 9, 2023: Cullen texts Somji, thanking him for the invitation the previous day. "I am available to chat anytime. I believe Manitoba has plenty to offer and would love to be part of the conversation," Cullen writes. Sept. 14, 2023: Cullen texts Ryan Klos, deputy minister of Environment and Climate, asking: "How are we doing with Sio draft?" in reference to the province issuing a draft project licence for Sio Silica to review. Klos replies: "Review is going well, and staff are on-track to share draft with Sio tomorrow. Will let you know tomorrow to confirm when shared. Let me know if helpful to chat." They stay in regular contact in the following days. Sept. 15, 2023: The department provides a draft licence to Sio Silica for feedback and to work through the conditions recommended by the Clean Environment Commission. Sept. 25, 2023: Representatives of the department and Sio Silica meet to discuss the draft licence. Afterward, Klos texts Cullen: "Good meeting today … clarified and concerns addressed." In response, Cullen texts: "Perfect! Everybody happy?" Klos replies:"Yes … everyone seemed good and appreciative." While Somji isn't at that meeting, he later says he was told the department advised they were working toward getting a recommendation to the director about the licence by Oct. 6, 2023, and that he assumed the recommendation would be positive, based on the draft licence being issue. Oct. 3, 2023: The governing Progressive Conservatives are defeated in Manitoba's general election. Cabinet ministers of the defeated government stay in office during the transition until the incoming NDP government is sworn in — a period governed by the caretaker convention. 'I am working on it. Just hang in there' Oct. 4, 2023: The day after the election, the Conflict of Interest Act comes into force, applying to everyone who was a cabinet minister on and after that date, including Stefanson, Cullen, Wharton and Johnson. Early that morning, David Filmon — a member of the Sio Silica board of directors well-known for his connections with the Progressive Conservative Party, and a close, longtime friend of Stefanson's — texts Cullen. "Can we have a quick chat today?" he asks, which he later says was to inquire about the approval process for the Sio Silica licence. Filmon says Cullen tells him there is a "possibility" the licence will be issued before the NDP government is sworn in. Cullen then texts deputy minister Klos to ask about the permit. Oct. 5, 2023: Filmon texts Cullen, asking: "Is everything still on track for tomorrow? Obviously a lot of anxiety on our end." Cullen replies: "I am working on it. Just hang in there." Shortly after, Cullen calls Klos and is told the department will not issue the licence until the incoming NDP government has been briefed. The same day, Cullen directs Kathryn Gerrard, clerk of the executive council, to see whether the NDP transition team would be comfortable with the licence being issued before they're sworn in. He also asks her to look into options in the event the incoming government was not on board. At 5:33 p.m., Stefanson calls Cullen — at which point the ethics commissioner later finds they were both aware the director wouldn't issue the licence, and had agreed to explore other options to have it issued. 'Did we get it done today Cliff?' Oct. 6, 2023: At a regularly scheduled transition team meeting, Kinew's chief of staff, Mark Rosner, is briefed on the Sio Silica matter, leaving with the impression the licence approval was moving forward "possibly as soon as that day" — to which he objected. At another briefing later that day, Rosner says he'll take the information back to Kinew to confirm the incoming government's position. Deputy ministers in attendance later tell Wharton and Cullen the NDP government was not consenting to issuing the licence during the transition period, and executive council clerk Gerrard also cautions Cullen the outgoing government can't issue the licence on its own because of the caretaker convention. Later that afternoon, Gerrard gets an email from a provincial department in response to Cullen's request to find "options" to proceed with the licence. The email outlines section 11.1 of The Environment Act, which allows the minister of the department to review and make decisions about Class 2 licences in the place of the director. The email also notes that section of the act has never been used before. The same day, the department prepares a communication action plan stating the project licence had been issued. At 1:37 p.m., Filmon texts Cullen: "Did we get it done today Cliff?" Over two hours later, after Cullen speaks with Gerrard, he replies to Filmon: "Apparently the bureaucracy failed to mention to me there would be a different outcome on issuing if the NDP won. Makes me look bad. I feel sick. Working on some options with Kathryn [Gerrard]. Will have more on Tuesday." The ethics commissioner later finds by the end of the day, public servants within the department determined they wouldn't take further steps to issue the licence until the new government was sworn in. "The same, however, cannot be said about the elected officials," the commissioner says. 'Good morning, It is messy' Oct. 10, 2023: At the next transition team meeting, Rosner confirms the incoming government opposes issuing the licence during the transition period. Gerrard shares that information with Cullen. Later that afternoon, in response to Cullen's request for "options," Gerard forwards the email about section 11.1 to Cullen. Shortly after, Cullen calls Stefanson. During a 42-minute call, he tells her the NDP opposes issuing the licence during the transition period and explains the section 11.1 option to her. They agree they would share the information about that option with Wharton, "with the intention that he act on that information," the commissioner later finds. Just after noon that day, Filmon texts Cullen: "Any update Cliff? Hope you had a nice Thanksgiving weekend!" Cullen does not respond. Oct. 11, 2023: As of this date, members of the public service begin "to receive more pressure from ministers within the outgoing PC government to prepare to use the section 11.1 option," the ethics commissioner later finds. At 4:23 a.m., Filmon texts Cullen again: "Just checking in again thanks." Cullen replies at 7 a.m.: "Good morning, It is messy. Bottom line, it is up to the NDP. I will keep you posted." 'You do you' Oct. 12, 2023: The day efforts to have the Sio Silica licence issued "come to a head," the ethics commissioner later finds. At 3:46 p.m., Shandy Walls, a Sio Silica lobbyist, sends Rosner, Kinew's chief of staff, a text with a GIF of Tina Fey giving herself a high-five and the question "Yes?" Minutes later, Stefanson calls Cullen and they speak for roughly 10 minutes. The same day, Cullen calls Wharton, telling him about the NDP's opposition to issuing the licence during the transition period and giving him details about the section 11.1 process. Wharton offers to contact Kevin Klein, then the minister of environment and climate, to ask him to approve the licence. He also offers to contact Rochelle Squires, Klein's first acting minister, to give the approval if Klein refuses. Wharton calls both, and both refuse to approve the licence. (Wharton later says when he asked Klein whether he would be OK with him phoning Squires and asking her to approve the licence, Klein replied, "you do you.") At 5:37 p.m., immediately after his call with Wharton, Klein calls Stefanson. He leaves a voicemail asking her to call him and sends her a text: "We need to talk ASAP. Silica thing is out of control." Klein then leaves Cullen a similar voicemail. At 10:12 p.m., Stefanson texts Kelvin Goertzen and Ron Schuler, the PC MLAs for Steinbach and Springfield-Ritchot. She writes: "Hi guys. Sorry to bother you but a very serious issue just came across my desk today where Jeff Wharton tried to ram through sio silica permit using ministerial authority. I have diffused [sic] everything. But we need to chat. Derek was involved and I'm not sure I can trust him moving forward. If you have time to talk tonight I am up for another 20 mins. Otherwise we can chat tomorrow thx h." The ethics commissioner later writes: "While I cannot speak to Ms. Stefanson's intentions in sending the text message to her colleagues, I find that its contents and her subsequent explanation about it are not consistent with her conduct that preceded this message. Specifically, they are not consistent with the fact that she and Mr. Cullen had had a discussion on October 10 about sharing the section 11.1 option with Mr. Wharton. I also note that, at the time of Ms. Stefanson's text message, the plan to use the section 11.1 option had failed and that Mr. Klein had expressed considerable upset in response to Mr. Wharton's request." A new government in place
Winnipeg Free Press
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
A story of breathless insouciance and sheer persistence
Opinion 'Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practise to deceive!' So wrote Sir Walter Scott two centuries ago in his epic English poem, Marmion: A Tale of Flodden Field. Writing in today's colloquial English, one would simply say, 'When lying liars lie about their lies.' Both are fitting characterizations of the stunning ethics and conflict of interest report released this week by ethics commissioner Jeffrey Schnoor into the attempted breach of the caretaker convention by a defeated government after the 2023 Manitoba election. He found that former premier Heather Stefanson, deputy premier Cliff Cullen, and Jeff Wharton, minister of economic development, investment, and trade, attempted to approve an environmental licence for the controversial Sio Silica mine during the caretaker period, despite having no political authority or legitimacy to do so. In doing so, Schnoor found that they had first, breached the caretaker convention which governs the behaviour of governments during and after an election, and second, in doing so, they had sought to 'further another person's private interests' — Sio Silica. An ethical and conflict of interest breach of a decisive and unprecedented nature. MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS Former premier Heather Stefanson and some members of her government tried to push through a controversial mining permit — after the PCs were defeated in the last election, an investigation has found. The caretaker convention is a bedrock political convention of Canada's system of responsible government and democracy. Simply put, an outgoing government cannot take decisions on any matters that are not routine, urgent, or administrative in nature only. Sio Silica's licence approval was anything but. It was anti-democratic in the extreme. To read the report is to be struck by both the breathless insouciance and the sheer persistence of the main protagonists in their actions. They simply didn't give up. Despite saying to the Commissioner in testimony that they understood the caretaker convention, each of them sent written submissions to him insisting it actually didn't matter. Schnoor wasn't having any of it, writing of Stefanson: 'Her efforts to have the project licence issued during the transition period were themselves a breach of the caretaker convention.' This was no shortage of attempts by the deputy premier to advance the Sio Silica licence through the bureaucracy during the election period from Sept. 5 to Oct. 3, 2023. A draft licence was in fact prepared and shared with the company. These efforts accelerated following the PC government's loss during the transition period. Not able to issue the licence themselves, or unwilling to shoulder that controversial responsibility, Cullen and Wharton sought to entwine officials in their machinations, from the clerk of the executive council to the deputy minister of environment, desiring they find a way to do so. That 'way' was to concoct a scheme, led by Wharton in this instance, to get the defeated minister of environment, Kevin Klein, to issue it on his own authority, under Section 11.1 and 11.2 of the Environment Act, a never-before used power that allows the minister to issue a licence on his own. He refused, so they moved on to pressure Rochelle Squires, also defeated, to do so in a highly irregular move in her formal capacity as 'acting minister of environment,' under the Executive Council Act. This spurious ploy would have required a just-defeated acting minister to act in place of a just-defeated minister who had refused to act on his own accord. A legal fig leaf to cover up an illegitimate act. Unsurprisingly, each of the respondents sought to minimize their knowledge and actions throughout this sordid exercise. 'No harm, no foul' became their default excuse. Since no licence was ever issued, they cannot retroactively be found to have done wrong. Schnoor disagreed, writing: 'A private interest does not actually have to be furthered; it is sufficient that there is an opportunity to do so.' He went on to call Stefanson's repeated dismissal of the caretaker convention as 'disheartening.' That is an understatement. The former premier has evidently learned nothing from the whole affair, continuing to dissemble about her actions while dismissing the report and its findings. Her statement on the report says, 'I had no obligation to do so but reached out to the incoming government and fully considered their views before deciding on what to do,' Any actions she took, were 'to further and protect the public interest.' Wednesdays A weekly dispatch from the head of the Free Press newsroom. No obligation? This means she believed she could have issued the licence but deigned not to, not because of the caretaker convention but because out of some unknown principle known only unto her. How striving to ignore that same caretaker convention furthers and protects the public interest is breathtaking in its impertinence. Out of politics now, Stefanson's primordial interest in her defence seemed to be how this would affect her future job prospects. This was revealed via a final representation from her legal counsel who wrote the commissioner, asserting: 'with respect to whether any of your potential findings would impact Ms. Stefanson's capacity to serve as a director of any publicly traded Canadian companies. He opined that they would not…' Schnoor recommended stiff fines for each of Stefanson, Cullen, and Wharton. These are the first-ever such recommended by the ethics commissioner. Why, because it was Stefanson's predecessor as premier, Brian Pallister, who toughened up the Conflict of Interest Act in 2021 to allow for such fines. Sir Walter Scott might call that poetic justice. David McLaughlin is a former clerk of the executive council and cabinet secretary in the Manitoba government.
