Premier Moe on record claiming company decided against bidding for RFP
REGINA - Today, the Official Opposition released the government’s original request for proposals (RFP) at the heart of the Shercom controversy. The Saskatchewan-based company was forced to lay off 60 workers after a government agency gave Shercom’s contract to American-based CRM.
“This RFP was clearly written to exclude the local Saskatchewan business already doing the work,” said Official Opposition Leader Carla Beck. “We should be putting local Saskatchewan businesses and Saskatchewan workers first.”
On Tuesday, Premier Moe faced questions about why a Newport Beach, California rubber company won a contract belonging to a local Saskatchewan business, Shercom. Moe claimed, on the record, that Shercom lost out because the company chose to not bid on the RFP.
The Saskatchewan NDP obtained a copy of the government RFP. According to the RFP, the government sought a second company that would split the tire recycling market once managed exclusively by Saskatchewan-based Shercom:
“There is currently a single tire processor in the province (located in Saskatoon) and the TSS is interested in having a second processor(s), ideally in the southern part of the province.”
The Opposition also released an internal report conducted by Tire Stewardship. The government agency’s report supposedly lays out the business case for splitting the tire recycling market. Shercom personnel requested the report via freedom of information request. The report is 22 pages long and every single page was redacted by the government.
“I’m not surprised that Premier Moe and his Environment Minister are hiding from reporters. This tire deal looks downright shady,” said Ethics and Democracy Critic Meara Conway. “Sixty people are out of work and this government still has not come clean on who benefited from this decision.”
The Environmental Management and Protection Act (2010) and The Scrap Tire Management Regulations (2017) dictate that Tire Stewardship is a government agency and that the buck stops with the Environment Minister who has the ultimate “approval power” over tire stewardship programs.
The Premier was incorrect when claiming today that Tire Stewardship is an independent agency and that his government has no control over it.
Former Sask. Party Finance Minister Kevin Doherty was hired by CRM to lobby Premier Moe and his inner circle.
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