Despite claiming to know nothing about plans to sell off SaskTel, it is now clear that the Sask. Party know more than they are letting on.
In a late August scrum, the Premier said, “there is no particular proposal on the table, as far as I know.” However, a freedom of information request filed by the NDP shows that between May and mid-August there are hundreds of pages of correspondence related to offers and purchases of SaskTel.
“Since before the election, when they promised the Crowns were not for sale, it’s been nothing but backroom deals, secret meetings, and Sask. Party denials,” said NDP Leader Nicole Sarauer. “First they scrapped STC, and then there was the cover-up of meetings in a Minister’s office, now the denial of deals that have led to hundreds of pages of paperwork. It’s way past time the Sask. Party come clean.”
According to officials responding to the NDP’s request, the related documents were “not extremely difficult to find and verify.” It was also estimated that it will cost nearly $600 to get the approximately 450 pages of documents, the Sask. Party claim to be unaware of, printed and redacted.
“Even though the Sask. Party is again promising to protect the Crowns, the fact is, we’ve heard that line from them before and then they scrapped the STC,” said Sarauer. “On the same day that the Premier last claimed to be reconsidering their legislation to allow for the sell-off of 49 per cent of each of our Crowns, the Minister who oversaw scrapping STC was put in charge of other Crowns, including SaskTel. Actions speak louder than words, and that appointment speaks volumes.”