MLAs Jeremy Cockrill and Gary Grewal under investigation

Two Saskatchewan Party MLAs are under investigation by the provincial Conflict of Interest Commissioner.

Education Minister Jeremy Cockrill and Gary Grewal are being investigated by Commissioner Maurice Herauf under the Members’ Conflict of Interest Act.

“I determined there were reasonable and probable grounds to proceed as directed by ss. 29(1) and 30(1)(a) of the Act,” Herauf said in an email. “The parties were advised of that determination in July 2024.”

On Wednesday, Premier Scott Moe told reporters that he expects both MLAs to cooperate fully with the investigation.

“There’s a process that the Conflict of Interest Commissioner will follow. There’s a process that MLAs need to follow as well. If he has some recommendations that will come out of that, I certainly MLAs will follow,” Moe said.

In May, the investigation was requested by opposition ethics and democracy critic Meara Conway.

Conway raised concerns over the possibility that Grewal and Cockrill were using their government connections to benefit their respective private businesses while in office.

“People deserve to know whether Sask. Party MLAs are using their power to score big government contracts for their own businesses,” said Conway in a May news release.

“If you’re an elected member of the government, you shouldn’t be doing sales to your own government on the side. A lot of folks I’m hearing from are worried that, after 17 years in power, the Sask. Party is looking more and more like an out-of-touch old boys club.”

Conway said Cockrill and Grewal appeared to be in contravention of section 15 of the Members’ Conflict of Interest Act, which disallows members from participating in “government contracts”.

Since last November, Grewal has come under scrutiny for his ownership of two Regina motels — The Sunrise and the Thriftlodge — which were partnered with the Ministry of Social Services. The Sunrise was accused of overcharging social service clients during their stay. Grewal is not seeking re-election.

The NDP said the province had “almost no” prior business relationships with the motels before Grewal came into office in 2020, but since then the motels have received $731,194.

Grewal has previously said he wasn’t involved with the day-to-day operations of the motels.

The opposition also pointed to a $179,137.46 payment from the Battleford Housing Authority to Fortress Windows and Doors — a company for which Cockrill was listed as a part-time salesman according to a 2021 public disclosure statement.

Fortress Windows also signed contracts with SaskTel in 2020 and 2021.

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