Disclosures raise more doubts about GTH deal

We know after this week that something went very wrong at the Global Transportation Hub (GTH).

Premier Brad Wall and company have consistently said there was “no wrongdoing” in the whole affair, but that does not necessarily mean things were done right.

Even if criminal charges do not emerge from this whole sorry affair — a possibility, given the complexity of fraud and breach of trust law — the RCMP investigation indicates the police believe there was something afoot. And something done incorrectly doesn’t mean it was unlawful.

But does that mean “no wrongdoing?” This became the fig-leaf phrase that Wall and the Saskatchewan Party government hid behind — a strange tactic, given that the broad definition of “wrongdoing” suggests it could mean just about any public office malfeasance: law-breaking criminality, malpractice, misconduct, corruption, immorality. It can also mean: Misbehaviour, transgressions, errors. “Wrongdoing” covers a wide swath.

So perhaps Saskatchewan Provincial Auditor Judy Ferguson should have never used the sweeping “no wrongdoing” term in her second press release that accompanied her otherwise scathing June 2016 GTH report. After this week, it’s likely a moot point now.

The Leader-Post’s David Fraser revealed the RCMP’s GTH investigation is “close to concluding” and the investigation results may already be in the hands of Manitoba prosecutors. Amazingly, that might not have even been the worst news for Wall on the GTH front this week.

The CBC’s Geoff Leo further revealed an email exchange that demonstrates Laurie Pushor — who was, at the time, former economy minister Bill Boyd’s political point man on the GTH land acquisition/negotiations — was pushing Regina developer Anthony Marquart on the purchase of more GTH land that Marquart didn’t own at the time.

The email exchange occurred in December 2013 as Pushor was finalizing the purchase of the controversial 204 acres bought for $103,000 per acre — land under the threat of expropriation that Marquart had acquired from Boyd’s farming associate, Edmonton businessman Robert Tappauf, early that year. Land titles records show Tappauf made a $6-million profit when he sold the 204 acres to Marquart. Marquart made a $5-million profit when he sold the land to the GTH in the Pushor-negotiated deal.

“I believe you were going to make some suggestions to me around the additional property, so whenever you have that, it would be great,” Pushor wrote to Marquart in December 2013.

“I still need to get back to you on that 3rd quarter, but will probably do so upon a successful understanding/ agreement with the existing opportunity (the 204-acre property),” Marquart wrote. And in a followup email to Pushor on Dec. 24, 2013, Marquart added: “I will be in touch early in the new year to follow up on the southern property as well!”

The actual owner of the land immediately south of the 204 acres was Ian Haynes. Haynes had been approached by a Realtor in March 2012 representing Tappauf ’s company, 139 Land Corporation, about buying the land, according to the CBC story. The story further noted Tappauf and Haynes registered a “conditional sale” on March 12, 2012 — the same day Tappauf signed a similar conditional purchase arrangement with the Sisters of Our Lady of the Mission and McNally Enterprises on the additional 204 acres.

Pushor’s email exchanges on the possible purchase of the Haynes/Tappauf property continued on in early 2014, including direct correspondence with Tappauf. The Economy Ministry told CBC Pushor’s discussions at the time were exploratory. GTH CEO Bryan Richards told a legislative committee last week the GTH had no interest in buying the land.

However, we know from the provincial auditor’s

June 2016 report that Boyd recommended to cabinet in November 2012 that it spend $22.8 million to purchase

(for $78,000 an acre) the McNally/nuns’ 204 acres and the Haynes land — all three parcels that were under purchase agreement by Tappauf ’s 139 Land Corporation.

We also know then-justice minister and now Sask. Party leadership hopeful Gord Wyant essentially put the kibosh on that deal by simply asking who owned 139 Land Corporation. That information was not included in the cabinet decision item.

About the kindest thing anyone can say now about the GTH land purchase deal is that it was done wrong.

And after this week, that certainly became more evident.