Ruling urges release of GTH emails

Saskatchewan’s privacy commissioner has recommended in a ruling that the government release emails related to the Global Transportation Hub (GTH) land deals.

Access to information requests were denied by the government, and an appeal over that decision was filed.

In a ruling last week, the commissioner “recommended release of some of the emails and attachments.”

No legislation exists to compel the province or GTH to comply with the privacy commissioner’s ruling on the release of the emails. Such a ruling is really only a recommendation, which can be followed up or ignored.

The GTH is currently reviewing the recommendation from the privacy commissioner.

In an emailed statement, the province said, “we appreciate the guidance of the (privacy commissioner), as we have received an unprecedented number of information requests over the past six months.”

The GTH has identified 240 emails and attachments that qualify as records that would be included in the response.

So far, 72 of those documents have been released.

Requests for the documents stem back to a series of controversial land deals regarding the GTH.

Those deals were also the focus of a provincial auditor’s report, released in June.

The report focused on 41 acres purchased by the GTH for $1.2 million in 2013 and 204 acres bought a year later for $21 million.

A series of deals led up to those purchases, which saw a Regina businessman net a significant profit.

Members of the RCMP have contacted at least some of the people involved in the deals, and it is unclear whether or not there is an ongoing investigation into the matter.

Saskatchewan’s auditor found taxpayers ended up paying too much when the provincial government bought the land from a Regina businessman who made millions on the sale.

The report concluded not enough was done by the province to buy land in a financially responsible way, and brought to light a series of communication failures between government departments, a lack of business cases for decisions made and not enough general documentation.