No conflict for Harpauer over hotel stays: watchdog
Saskatchewan’s conflict of interest commissioner says Minister of Finance Donna Harpauer was not in a conflict when she accepted a gift of free accommodation in the Northern Village of Pinehouse on two occasions from her friend, a village councillor.
Ronald Barclay sent a copy of his findings to Harpauer on Monday, days after the finance minister made a disclosure that two hotel bookings were made in her name for stays in Pinehouse in 2016 and 2018 and were paid for by the village.
In a statement sent to media, Harpauer said she believed a personal friend was paying for the accommodations, not the village. On Friday, an executive council spokesman confirmed that the personal friend is village councillor Conrad Misponas.
Harpauer asked the commissioner to provide his opinion on the situation.
Barclay found that although the general rule is that members of provincial cabinet are prohibited from accepting gifts connected to the performance of their duties, there is an exception for gifts given as a “token expression of appreciation or complimentary hospitality in the context of some official interaction.”
In a statement issued to the Saskatoon Starphoenix on Tuesday, Harpauer agreed to make a formal disclosure of the gifted accommodations to Barclay’s office.
“I acknowledge that Mr. Barclay notes that there could be a perception of a conflict surrounding these circumstances, and recommended that the accommodation provided be immediately disclosed,” the statement read.
Barclay asked Harpauer to file a disclosure for the accommodations received as a gift in 2018, since the cost is $499.50. Gifts of $200 and greater have to be disclosed.
She has already repaid the village for the cost of the accommodations, which Barclay noted in his opinion.
“I further understand that, until very recently, you had no knowledge that the Village had paid these costs. In my view, the actions of the Village in paying your accommodation expenses and those of your partner was highly inappropriate,” he wrote.
Barclay found that Harpauer would be entitled to receive the free accommodation because the owner of Jonlaw Development Corporation — which provided the accommodations — and the business, to Barclay’s knowledge, have not had official dealings with the provincial government.
He also took into account that Harpauer and her partner offered to pay for their stay, but were told that in the North, they are guests.
“In rendering this opinion, I am cognizant of the culture in Northern Saskatchewan, where it is part of the tradition of the region to share accommodation,” he wrote.
However, Barclay expressed concern about perceptions of what happened. He noted that Misponas is a councillor for the village and the village receives grants from the province.
Although Misponas wasn’t the owner of the hotel where Harpauer and her partner stayed — and she advised Barclay that she wasn’t aware at the time that Misponas was a councillor — “the doctrine of perception applies when a reasonably well-informed person could reasonably conclude, perhaps unfairly, as a result of all the surrounding circumstances that Conrad may have attempted to use his influence to ensure that you and your partner received free accommodation,” Barclay wrote.
At the time of the first visit, Misponas was listed as the village’s “housing project manager” in payroll disclosures provided to Saskatoon resident D’arcy Hande at the end of November, following an information request made to the village under freedom of information and privacy laws. On Linkedin, he’s listed as the general manager for the Pinehouse Housing Corporation, from 2014 to the present.
Until August 2016, Harpauer was the Minister of Social Services. She was also the minister responsible for the Saskatchewan Housing Corporation and made a joint funding announcement with the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation for a seniors’ housing project in the village.
In the news release at the time, no disclosure was made that Harpauer and Misponas were personal friends.
In August 2016, Harpauer and her partner went to the village at Misponas’s invitation to go fishing and were taken to a multi-unit dwelling. The actual cost of the first stay was $159, less than the value of a gift that would have to be disclosed. The Village of Pinehouse issued a cheque for $319 that November to Jonlaw Development Corporation.
In August 2018, Harpauer’s partner went to Pinehouse alone.
As she informed Barclay, he stayed in similar accommodations and offered to pay.
On Monday, a spokesman for the provincial government’s executive council said that under The Members’ Conflict of Interest Act there is no requirement for members of cabinet to disclose friendships or acquaintanceships such as the one between Harpauer and Misponas.
“As elected representatives, MLAS have friendships and acquaintances with community members across the province. It is important to note that these connections hold no weight in funding decisions, as decisions are based on the needs and priorities of communities that are seeking funds, and balanced with the needs of other communities and projects,” the statement read.
The village is the subject of an immediate inspection by the province, called by Minister of Government Relations Warren Kaeding on Dec. 10 at the recommendation of Saskatchewan’s Information and Privacy Commissioner, Ron Kruzeniski, after he issued his 13th report dealing with delayed responses from Pinehouse to people requesting information under the province’s freedom of information and privacy legislation.