NDP calls on conflict of interest commissioner to investigate two Sask. Party MLAs
The formal request pertains to Jeremy Cockrill and Gary Grewal and their respective connections to Fortress Windows and Doors and the Sunrise and Thriftlodge motels.
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After hammering the government this session over ties some Sask. Party MLAs have to businesses, the NDP is seeking an investigation by the conflict of interest commissioner.
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NDP calls on conflict of interest commissioner to investigate two Sask. Party MLAs Back to video
The formal request pertains to Jeremy Cockrill and Gary Grewal and their respective connections to Fortress Windows and Doors and the Sunrise and Thriftlodge motels.
In a release issued Wednesday, the NDP said the two MLAs “through their private businesses, appear to have wrongfully cashed in on government contracts.”
Fortress Windows and Doors received $179,137 in contracts from the Battleford Housing Authority in 2021, a year after Cockrill was elected.
Government contracts are listed on Cockrill’s conflict of interest disclosure forms in 2021 and 2022, including window replacement for the Battlefords and Cut Knife Housing Authorities in 2021. A contract for window and door repair for SaskTel is also listed in 2022.
Under the “income” heading on his first member’s public disclosure form, filed on Feb. 11, 2021, Cockrill is listed as an advisor to Fortress Windows & Doors Ltd. In 2022, he was listed as holding the position of “sales (part time)” while in 2023 no income was stated as coming from the company.
The two hotels linked to Grewal have been paid a total $731,000 since 2020, the year he was elected to his seat in Regina Northeast, by the Ministry of Social Services to provide hotel rooms as emergency shelter for clients.
Grewal has said he is not involved in day-to-day operations and the businesses do not hold any formal contracts with the ministry.
Both hotels are listed on Grewal’s disclosure forms since 2021, though Sunrise Motel is not named directly but identified as a motel under Grewal Hospitality Inc.
He said he spoke to conflict of interest commissioner Maurice Herauf in December about the allegations, and Herauf found no issue with his disclosures.
Cockrill did not address the matter during question period or outside the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday. Instead, Minister of Energy and Resources Jim Reiter spoke with reporters, issuing a statement on behalf of the government.
“If the NDP have evidence of wrongdoing they need to go to the appropriate authorities and deal with that,” Reiter said.
Asked what he knew about Cockrill’s ties to the business, Reiter said “I don’t know. My understanding is we’re all required as MLAs to file our business interests with the conflict of interest commissioner.”
Opposition critic for ethics and democracy Meara Conway said part of the problem rests with Cockrill not seeking an exemption for the government-tendered contracts while serving as an MLA.
She said her “reasonably held belief” comes from her interpretation of Section 15 of the Members’ Conflict of Interest Act.
“At a time when he was an employee of this business (he) continued to derive the benefit from it, and he did not seek an exemption under the Act for that,” she said.
Section 15 of the Act stipulates that no member may participate or have interest in a company that enters into a government contract to deliver goods, services or real estate agreements to a Crown entity.
Such involvement is defined as a member being “party to or beneficially interested in the contract” or a “shareholder, partner, director, manager or officer of, or has an interest in” a business with interests in a beneficial contract.
Conway said the conflict of interest commissioner will have 90 days to review the submission and will have “the last word on this.”
“We’re going to wait for the response from the conflict of interest commissioner,” Reiter said.
Potential penalties for either MLA, if found in contravention, include reprimand, a fine in an amount determined by the Assembly, suspension or removal from their seat.
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