Question Period (4 December 2024)

From Hansard (4 December 2024)

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Auditor’s Recommendations on Social Services’ Procurement Policies

Meara Conway: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This Sask Party government has talked a lot about decorum, about a change of tone. But what we saw in committee this morning is just the same old Sask Party government that we’ve seen for years. They haven’t changed, Mr. Speaker. They blocked any accountability into the waste of public money on the Sunrise Motel, and how this government continued to send business to Sask Party MLA-owned hotels even after the commissioner directed them to stop.

They would rather play political games than get answers for Saskatchewan people. So if not at a committee, Mr. Speaker, where does the Sask Party government propose we get answers about what all went down at the Sunrise Motel?

Hon. Terry Jenson: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday my ministry accepted all the recommendations made by the Provincial Auditor. The ministry has worked with the Provincial Auditor in its review of procurement of hotel rooms for clients, and we accept the four new recommendations to further strengthen those processes.

When we’re securing hotels, the ministry balances cost-effectiveness, safety, and availability. And we rely on our front-line workers to make sure that we’re keeping the most vulnerable in our community safe, warm, and secure by obtaining hotel quotes in advance and getting those people into a safe place where they need to be. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Meara Conway: — Here are the facts, Mr. Speaker. Almost a million dollars of public money went to Gary Grewal’s hotels illegitimately. The rates were jacked up more than 50 per cent once the public started picking up the tab. The auditor said there weren’t controls in place then, and there aren’t now. And the Conflict of Interest Commissioner ruled that not only did Mr. Gary Grewal break the law, but he continued to engage in government contracts even after the commissioner directed him to stop. These are facts, Mr. Speaker.

Here’s another fact. The commissioner left it to this Assembly to determine the penalty for Mr. Grewal. What does the Sask Party government think would be fair?

Hon. Terry Jenson: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Our ministry is providing critical and immediate assistance to families, children, and individuals in crisis, and that’s something that we’re not going apologize for. That is something that we need to do to ensure we keep these people safe, to keep them secure.

This year we’ve gone further by securing one-year agreements, by obtaining room blocks in advance. Mr. Speaker, our ministry’s actions are being very clear. We’re responding to the auditor’s report. We’re implementing and working through those recommendations, and we look forward to getting those results later in 2025. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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