Possible partial sale of SGI on the table, Wall confirms

No ‘formal offer’ has been made for any Crown entity, premier says

The province says there are “no formal” offers for any of the Crown corporations, but Premier Brad Wall said Wednesday that “of course” the province is having meetings about the potential partial sale of SGI.

That comes on the heels of the province confirming it has studied the potential impact of selling up to almost half of SaskTel, and all three of Canada’s major telecommunications companies being registered to lobby SaskTel officials.

When the province recently passed Bill 40, it allowed the government to sell portions of Saskatchewan’s Crown corporations.

That law defines privatization and, according to the province, allows it to sell up to 49 per cent of a Crown corporation. But Wall said the province “can’t lose control” of the Crowns and that the definition “strengthens” another law — The Crown Corporations Public Ownership Act, known as the Crown Protection Act — that exists to keep the Crowns publicly owned.

The premier maintains his Saskatchewan Party “campaigned on not privatizing the Crowns and we’re not going to do it.”

Partnering the Crowns is another matter altogether.

Wall has spoken at length about how shares in a Crown could be sold to a private company if it were beneficial to the province.

He said the province “possibly” could have sought out those partnerships before Bill 40 was passed, but there are assurances in place now that doing so won’t violate the Act protecting the Crowns from privatization.

The province maintains no “formal offers” have been made for any part of Saskatchewan’s Crowns, but interim NDP leader Trent Wotherspoon is accusing the government of trying to sell them off.

“This is a premier that’s lied to Saskatchewan people, that’s betraying Saskatchewan people now,” said Wotherspoon. “A Sask. Party and a premier that lied throughout the passing of Bill 40 and is betraying Saskatchewan people for a sell-off for which they have no mandate.”

He added that if the province wants to sell of portions of Crowns, “Saskatchewan people deserve a vote.”

Wall had been musing about selling SaskTel, but backed away from that at the tail end of 2016 because he sensed there was no appetite for it.

One of the telecommunications companies registered to lobby SaskTel officials and its minister, Dustin Duncan, is Telus.

The company said in a statement that, “We have never met with any elected member regarding Bill 40 or any purchase of an interest in SaskTel.”

Terri Harris, who worked with Wall from 2007 until 2014, is one of the lobbyists representing Telus.

Wall told reporters Wednesday that Harris “doesn’t” have any inside knowledge regarding the province’s direction with SaskTel.

It is unclear where any of the lobbyists have met with Wall, Duncan or any other Sask. Party cabinet ministers about the partial sale of the Crowns.