Springfield councillor adds voice to calls for answers on sand mine questions

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This article was published 29/12/2023 (655 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A Rural Municipality of Springfield councillor opposed to a proposed sand mine in his community has urged Red River North MLA Jeff Wharton to “come clean and tell the truth” on reports he urged cabinet colleagues to approve the controversial project in the dying days of the Progressive Conservative government.

“There is someone you are supporting and helping,” says Friday’s open letter from Mark Miller to the former Manitoba economic development minister.

This week, former PC environment minister Kevin Klein and Rochelle Squires, who was acting environment minister, both said they received calls Oct. 12 from Wharton (then-economic development minister) asking them to approve the proposed Sio Silica Corp. project near Vivian in southeastern Manitoba.

Both refused.

Squires wrote in a Free Press op-ed piece this week Wharton told her “it was a project of significant importance to the (outgoing Tory) premier (Heather Stefanson) but, because of a conflict, she herself couldn’t offer that directive.”

Neither Wharton nor Stefanson (Opposition leader and MLA for Tuxedo) have been made available to comment.

Statements issued on their behalf said Stefanson has no conflict of interest and both respected the caretaker convention, leaving approval of the sand mine project for the incoming NDP government to decide.

Miller — who said rushing approval of the project could have put the safety of drinking water for thousands at risk — is not satisfied with that response, saying Manitobans deserve answers.

“I do believe the ethics commissioner should review the procedures, motives and extent of interference alleged by former MLAs Klein and Squires regarding Wharton and why the (former) PC government was so desperate to support this project,” he said.

Concerns were raised by area residents and the Clean Environment Commission couldn’t say with confidence the plan was environmentally safe, the Springfield councillor added.

“I do believe the ethics commissioner should review the procedures, motives and extent of interference alleged by former MLAs Klein and Squires regarding Wharton and why the (former) PC government was so desperate to support this project.”–Mark Miller

Under Manitoba’s new conflict-of-interest legislation — that kicked-in the day after the Oct. 3 election — an MLA with reasonable grounds to believe another member violated the act can ask the ethics commissioner to investigate.

Sections 2 to 5 of Bill 21, the Conflict of Interest (Members and Ministers) and Related Amendments Act, prohibit making decisions or influencing decisions that provide an opportunity to further a member’s private interests or those of their family or to improperly further another person’s private interests.

If an MLA has contravened the act, the commissioner can recommend penalties ranging from a reprimand to a suspension, and fines of up to $50,000. In an extreme case, the member could lose their seat in the legislature.

On Friday, ethics commissioner Jeffrey Schnoor declined to comment on whether he’s been asked by an MLA to investigate the Sio Silica project allegations.

It’s not clear if NDP Premier Wab Kinew, who first raised the matter of the former Tory government trying to issue Sio Silica a licence during the transition period post-election, will ask the ethics commissioner to investigate.

On Friday, cabinet communications director Amy Tuckett-McGimpsey said: “Manitobans deserve accountability for the actions of the outgoing former government when it comes to the Sio Silica project they attempted to push through during the transition period after the election. This includes a response to the claim regarding a conflict of interest with the former premier. At this time, we are reviewing the Sio Silica project with increased scrutiny to ensure that all assessments are done thoroughly and appropriately.”

Manitobans should expect at least one MLA to ask the ethics commissioner to look into “a most serious” potential violation of the caretaker convention, said University of Manitoba political studies professor emeritus Paul Thomas.

“Manitobans deserve accountability for the actions of the outgoing former government when it comes to the Sio Silica project they attempted to push through during the transition period after the election.”–Amy Tuckett-McGimpsey

If Klein or Squires had given in and approved the sand mine project, the consequences would have been far-reaching, Thomas said Friday.

“The motivation behind the attempt to move ahead with approval is unclear. Suspicion and questions about motives are bound to arise when the principal actors involved decline to answer questions,” he said.

“That suspicion deepens when two former ministers describe the undue influence exerted on them as lacking moral authority and ‘corrupt’ (as Squires wrote in her op-ed),” said Thomas, noting “significant private investment” on the project was pending.

Neither Sio Silica president and chief executive officer Feisal Somji nor director Michael Pyle have responded to requests for comment.

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca

Carol Sanders
Legislature reporter

Carol Sanders is a reporter at the Free Press legislature bureau. The former general assignment reporter and copy editor joined the paper in 1997. Read more about Carol.

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