Ex-finance minister lobbying former colleagues
Less than one year after resigning as an MLA, former finance minister Kevin Doherty was back to lobby his former government colleagues.
Doherty served as Saskatchewan’s finance minister from May 2015 to August 2017, when he moved to the advanced education portfolio. He left that post just months later, before vacating his Regina Northeast seat in March of last year.
He was quickly scooped up by a Calgary-based business consulting firm, Prairie Sky Consulting, to serve as managing director for Saskatchewan. But it wasn’t until November, 2018, that he began to show up in Saskatchewan’s register of lobbyists.
Doherty was first listed as a lobbyist for Millenium Land Ltd., which was seeking to pitch its environmental consulting and land services to the provincial government. He’s since lobbied on behalf of Gensource Potash Corporation, Sonoash LLC, File Hills Qu’appelle Tribal Council, Millenium Land Ltd. and Abbey Resources, according to the registry.
Along with colleagues from Prairie Sky, Doherty was either lobbying, or expecting to lobby, Premier Scott Moe and several other government ministers he previously served with in cabinet.
Abbey Resources, a Calgary-based company that has bought up numerous gas wells in southwestern Saskatchewan at rock-bottom prices, hired Prairie Sky to discuss the challenges of escalating costs for the industry, including municipal taxes. Gensource was touting the employment and export possibilities of a potash development project.
Ronald Barclay, Saskatchewan’s registrar of lobbyists, said Doherty follows the law and is extremely diligent about filing his returns.
“I can say unequivocally that he is very conscientious, that he complies with the legislation and all the lobbyist rules,” said Barclay.
The Lobbyist Act requires former cabinet ministers to wait one year after leaving their post before lobbying government. The cooling-off period for MLAS is shorter, at six months. That means Doherty is well within the bounds of the law.
There are no special guidelines or rules for former cabinet ministers, according to Barclay. From a legal perspective, Doherty is a lobbyist like any other.
Barclay acknowledged that Doherty was no doubt hired because of his connections in government. But he sees nothing unethical about a former cabinet minister lobbying his former colleagues.
“There’s nothing sinister about lobbying,” said Barclay. “Right from the time I became registrar, I did emphasize that it’s an integral part of the democratic process and a legitimate activity.”
Doherty isn’t the only former MLA to lobby in Saskatchewan. Former NDP leader Cam Broten is now the executive director of the Saskatchewan Egg Producers, while former Saskatchewan Party cabinet minister June Draude works for JMD consulting.