Documents received recently by the Saskatchewan NDP under Freedom of Information show that the Sask. Party government gave a ‘special’ land lease to Bill Boyd while he was still a member of the Sask. Party caucus. The land under lease is connected to the ongoing court case where Boyd is facing charges for breaking environmental laws. However, the Sask. Party is refusing to release any details about the ‘special’ land lease.
“Mr. Boyd was described by Brad Wall himself as being in the DNA of the Sask. Party. He has been involved in scandal after scandal from the so-called Smart Meters to the GTH and has relentlessly tried to cover up the facts and avoid transparency,” said NDP Environment Critic Cathy Sproule. “With the Sask. Party’s GTH scandal, they’ve gone to great lengths to block witnesses from testifying and avoid questions from the NDP and media. Now we’re seeing it all again, with the Sask. Party clearly refusing to release documents that should be public.”
Bill Boyd is currently facing four charges in court for damaging land that is located near an irrigation project of his – a project laden with conflicts of interest that led to the ex-minister’s resignation.
For four months, the Sask. Party has refused to release the details of this ‘special’ agriculture lease, why the Ministry of Agriculture issued it to Bill Boyd and how it is connected to his irrigation pilot project. Now, all that has been listed as an excuse to not release the documents is, “the records in question contain information relevant to the a case involving the Government of Saskatchewan, that is currently before the court.”
“Once again, the Sask. Party is standing behind the questionable behaviors of its own members, instead of standing up for what’s right for the people of Saskatchewan,” Sproule said. “Even a recently re-appointed Minister has admitted that, when answering questions, he wasn’t stating what he thought was right, he ‘defended the position of the government.’ Saskatchewan people deserve better than that.”
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