The Saskatchewan NDP is continuing their pressure on Premier Scott Moe to publicly release his correspondence with the Conflict of Interest Commissioner regarding a partnership with the WE Charity.
NDP Education Critic Carla Beck wants the premier to disclose any communications between the two after Moe’s trip to Kenya with his wife in December when they were guests of WE founder Craig Kielburger over the holidays.
She said there’s something off about the timeline between the trip in December and the intent of the contract with WE in May that doesn’t seem right.
“This contract really doesn’t past the test of what I would say is common sense,” suggested Beck. “I think it does deserve scrutiny right along the timeline.”
In a release from the official opposition on Tuesday, it was posted by the government in May that the province’s Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education had the intent of awarding a $260,000 contract to the Toronto-based charity. The contract in question is between the government and charity to “promote student well-being” in schools through a free classroom program.
While the premier stated on Tuesday that it was a personal trip he and his wife took in December, Beck said they want to know if the ethics commissioner knew WE was already under consideration for the contract.
“Was there any follow up correspondence after WE was chosen as the sole consideration for delivering this content in Saskatchewan schools,” she added.
“That is a reasonable question that I have as the education critic and that I think the people of Saskatchewan would have.”
Premier Moe said he approached the Conflict of Interest Commissioner before he and his wife went on the trip, to which he said the commissioner felt there was no conflict in this particular case.
Moe added that a cabinet presentation has yet to be made on the contract.
