In a letter sent Thursday afternoon, Minister Daryl Harrison claimed his government acted to ensure farmland remains in the hands of Canadians; however, he’s failed to admit there is any problem following a 2024 report from the Provincial Auditor that found major holes in the process for transactions and ownership declarations.
Trent Wotherspoon, Saskatchewan NDP Deputy Agriculture Shadow Minister, has responded to Harrison in a letter today to address the Minister’s desperate threats and pose questions back to the Minister, including:
“Importantly, why would you write me a pathetic, nonsense letter that dismisses and attempts to shut down the very serious concerns of producers regarding your government’s weak record on enforcing the law against illegal foreign farmland ownership, instead of getting to work and stepping up to fix the problem?”
“Instead of getting to work to protect Saskatchewan farmland, producers and agriculture, we have a minister trying to shut down anyone who speaks out about the mile-wide holes he’s left in the review and investigatory process,” said Wotherspoon today at a media event on the issue of foreign farmland. “He needs to do his job and step up to fix the problem.
“The Sask. Party knows full well that, for 18 years, they’ve failed on this critical matter. This is about enforcing the law and protecting Saskatchewan and Canadian producers and Saskatchewan agriculture, rural communities and farmland.”
Provincial Auditor Tara Clemett found the Farm Land Security Board reviews approximately 40,000 farmland transactions each year with a staff of just six people working through the Ministry of Agriculture.
Her investigation found reviews typically occurred five months after land sales had closed and, in 50 per cent of the reviewed cases, the board never requested the legally required ownership declarations from corporations registered outside Saskatchewan.
A fiery debate broke out Wednesday in the Legislature after Saskatchewan NDP Shadow Minister for Energy & Resources Sally Housser put forward a motion calling for action to prevent illegal foreign farmland ownership and condemning the Sask. Party for their years of inaction.
“Saskatchewan producers, SARM and the Provincial Auditor all say this is a problem while the Sask. Party claims it isn’t — I know which side I’m on,” Housser said.
“We build a bright future by protecting Saskatchewan and Canadian producers and agriculture so that it can thrive and drive our economy forward.”
Wotherspoon and Housser called, specifically, for the Sask. Party to:
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Properly resource the Farmland Security Board and ensure it has the teeth required to review, investigate and enforce the law;
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Beef up fines for farmland transaction violations to a level where they serve as an actual deterrent, not a slap on the wrist;
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Review, audit and enforce forced divestiture of land acquired and owned illegally by foreign entities that breached the law and caused forfeiture of profit;
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Through consultation with the legal and agricultural community ensure the statutory declarations in the transaction process are mandatory and contain the information needed to effectively and efficiently review and enforce the law, such as proof of residency, statement of beneficial interests, ownership and capital.
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