The order from the Information and Privacy Commissioner to the Saskatchewan marshals service follows an access to information request from Carla Beck’s team seeking misconduct allegations, investigations, and related details.
At the centre of the Saskatchewan NDP’s concern is a provincial marshal who quit his job after the conclusion of a conduct investigation by the Public Complaints Commission. The government has refused to provide answers as to why this marshal was under investigation before the marshals had even begun doing any front-line work.
“If there’s nothing to hide, then why all the secrecy? Why the redactions? Why the silence?” asked Nicole Sarauer, Shadow Minister for Justice and Attorney General.
“That culture of secrecy starts at the top with Minister Michael Weger. He needs to be straight with the people of Saskatchewan and answer for this apparent cover-up.”
In their March report, the Commissioner found that the Marshals Service improperly withheld pages of misconduct records and has given it 30 days to release them.
The Commissioner noted that 290 pages of material that were released were heavily blacked out, while another 93 pages were withheld entirely.
“The public interest in this matter is considerable,” the Commissioner wrote. “The public has a right to know and debate the outcome of allegations involving a marshal who is appointed to act in the public trust when allegations arise otherwise.”
Sarauer is demanding the full, unfiltered release of the records as indicated in the Commissioner’s report and is putting the minister responsible for the marshals, Michael Weger, on notice that he will be asked about the apparent cover-up in question period if he does not compel the release of the records by noon on Monday.
“Saskatchewan people deserve transparency in their policing forces. The marshals should be held to the same standard as any other police force in the province,” Sarauer said.
“Moe and Minister Weger are ultimately responsible for the marshals, and I don’t think they want this issue to blow up in their faces.”
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