Whistle-blower brings new allegations about flood-fighting equipment to Tories

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This article was published 21/03/2016 (3495 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The provincial Tories tried again today to stoke the embers of the Tiger Dams controversy.

Conservative deputy leader and Tuxedo candidate Heather Stefanson told reporters that a whistle-blower frustrated with the lack of action from the Selinger government has now contacted the Tories.

The whistle-blower has raised allegations about an untendered and since-cancelled contract for $5 million worth of flood-fighting equipment.

Stefanson said the Conservatives do not know the person’s identity, but believe he or she is legitimate because the individual sent along a redacted copy of a letter from the provincial ombudsman to him or her.

“In frustration, the whistle-blower reached out to the PC team in early March,” said Stefanson. The Tories are advising the whistle-blower to go to the RCMP.

Stefanson said that the whistle-blower did not turn over substantiation to the Tories, and she would not say what, if any, action a Conservative government would take following the April 19 election.

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The issue centered on Transportation Minister Steve Ashton’s attempt to secure a $5-million, sole-source contract for Tiger Dam flood-mitigation equipment. The company involved was represented in Manitoba by a businessman with whom Ashton had a strong personal and professional relationship.

Premier Greg Selinger eventually referred concerns about the contract to the provincial ombudsman for review. The ombudsman concluded Ashton broke procurement rules by trying to obtain a sole-source contract. However, the ombudsman was not asked to look at concerns that Ashton had personal and political ties with other parties to the Tiger Dam contract. That issue was farmed out earlier in the year to the province’s conflict-of-interest commissioner. In particular, the commissioner was asked whether a donation by the Tiger Dam representative to Ashton’s leadership campaign would, in and of itself, create a conflict of interest for the minister. The commissioner said it would not.