REGINA — The opposition NDP has asked the Conflict of Interest Commissioner to investigate Ken Cheveldayoff over the subletting of his constituency office to a Saskatoon law firm.
The correspondence, dated March 31 from NDP Ethics and Democracy critic Jordan McPhail, asks Commissioner Maurice Herauf to determine whether Cheveldayoff derived any financial or other benefit from this arrangement, whether he was in conflict of interest or sought to further his private interest or the interest of an associate, whether he breached any additional Assembly rules in contravention of the Act, and whether any other provisions have been breached.
In his correspondence, McPhail cited a CBC News investigation which found Cheveldayoff had been in breach of assembly rules for years by subletting his constituency office.
His correspondence also acknowledged Cheveldayoff having said the arrangement was not a sublet but a split lease, adding that to date “he has not produced any lease agreement or documentation to substantiate this claim, despite requests from members of the media. What’s more, he has not shed any light on the flow of funds associated with the office lease.”
In a statement on Monday, Cheveldayoff said he has "always been completely transparent with the Legislative Assembly Office regarding any and all of my MLA office expenses," and that he felt the arrangement regarding the renting of his constituency office was within the rules of the Assembly and that previous Speakers of the House allowed that arrangement.
"When the current Speaker asked me to discontinue the subletting arrangement and pursue a new lease arrangement, I made those changes. The matter has now been resolved to the satisfaction of the current Speaker."
Questions on Cheveldayoff’s sublease were also raised again in the legislature
During question period, Premier Scott Moe was asked directly by McPhail if he continued to have confidence in Cheveldayoff as minister.
In his answer, Moe gave Cheveldayoff a ringing endorsement, pointing to the four-year funding deal Cheveldayoff achieved with post-secondary institutions.
“This is an advanced education minister that has worked hard to not only represent the constituents that he represents in his constituency, the city of Saskatoon, but across the province of Saskatchewan,” said Moe.
“We may have gotten under the premier’s skin here today,” McPhail responded. He then asked if Cheveldayoff would “scrum with reporters in the rotunda today on the sublet scandal.”
On that latter point, Speaker Todd Goudy ruled that question out of order and moved on to the next question.
Afterwards in the rotunda, McPhail explained to the media scrum why he asked the particular follow-up question that he did.
He told reporters that Cheveldayoff “going into his office and calling each one of you one-on-one to try and get a interview without scrutiny out here from the press gallery isn’t acceptable to the people of Saskatchewan. We are supposed to be accountable to the people that we serve.”
McPhail also pointed out that in response to his follow-up question, Premier Moe had stood up and was ready to answer, but the minister of advanced education "wasn’t willing to stand in the house today to answer that question.”
“This just reeks absolutely reeks of this government trying to cover something up here,” McPhail told reporters.
“I don’t understand why they won’t answer questions on this issue. I’m out here. I’m willing to answer any questions of the media and I invite the minister, come on out right after me and answer.”
