Province calls on feds to assist producers
The Northern Village of Pinehouse’s finances will remain under the microscope as the provincial government conducts an official inquiry that will include a financial audit.
Minister of Government Relations Warren Kaeding announced Thursday that the Saskatchewan government will “widen the scope” of an inspection into the village after reviewing an independent report from lawyer Neil Robertson and following discussions within Kaeding ’s ministry and the Ministry of Justice.
The province will now expand Robertson’s authority to conduct an official inquiry, begin a financial audit and appoint Hasan Akhtar — manager of Northern Municipal Administration within the Ministry of Government Relations — to an advisory and support role for Pinehouse’s council.
Speaking to media after Question Period, Kaeding said the ministry needed “further analysis” of some information in Robertson’s report.
“We still need to get some answers to some of our concerns that we’ve seen in the initial report and we’re hoping to get this expanded upon with Mr. Robertson,” he said.
Akhtar has been appointed to March 2020 to “guide” Pinehouse and help it “get back on track” in managing its affairs. Part of Akhtar’s responsibilities will include ensuring the village responds to valid access to information requests.
Kaeding said he won’t put a fixed timeline on a second report. He is encouraging Robertson to be expedient but thorough, he said.
Trent Wotherspoon, the Opposition critic of municipal relations and finance, called on the government to release Robertson’s interim report.
Robertson was appointed in December to conduct an inspection following a recommendation from Saskatchewan Information and Privacy Commissioner Ron Kruzeniski.
Kruzeniski’s recommendation came in a report relating to requests for disclosure of information under provincial local freedom of information and protection of privacy legislation either not being fulfilled or not being responded to before the legislated time period of 30 days.
The province began to monitor the village’s compliance after it gave an incomplete response to an information request in September 2017. The inspection called in December was aimed at uncovering why the village’s responses were either incomplete or unfulfilled, and to look into the village’s financial situation and business administration.
According to a letter sent to Pinehouse Mayor Mike Natomagan and village council, the terms of reference for the original inspection allowed Robertson to consider any document, electronic record, or “any other evidence,” verbal or written, that he sees as relevant and reliable.
The letter was released by the Ministry of Government Relations following an access to information request by the Saskatoon Starphoenix.
The terms of reference also empowered Robertson to enter the village premises at any time to access any records, computer system or data storage system, and to determine the rules and procedure for the inspection “as he sees fit.”
According to briefing notes provided to the Starphoenix following an access to information request, the Ministries of Justice and Government Relations, the privacy commissioner’s office, New North and the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association have “explored intervention options” since 2013 and “provided assistance” to the village’s elected and appointed leadership to make sure they’re aware of their obligations to comply with freedom of information legislation.
In a January interview, Natomagan said the village was in no hurry to make changes.
“To be quite honest, living in (one of the poorest regions of Canada), do we care about freedom of information? Not really. Are we going to get another slap on the hand here? Probably … We’ll get to it when we get to it, when we have time, because there are other priorities within our community,” Natomagan said.
“We’ll continue with what we’re doing and how we’re doing things.”