The Progressive Conservatives have filed a complaint against an NDP cabinet minister, whose business was awarded a $100,000 provincial contract that he failed to disclose.
On Monday, the Tories asked Manitoba ethics commissioner Jeffrey Schnoor to investigate Municipal and Northern Relations Minister Ian Bushie, the owner of Grandpa George’s Convenience and Gas in Hollow Water First Nation, that’s had a government contract for providing groceries and supplies to those fighting wildfires in the area for many years.
The formal complaint filed by PC caucus chair Greg Nesbitt said Bushie violated the conflict of interest act by accepting a contract, either for himself or through his business. The contract was awarded by the natural resources department whose minister, Jamie Moses, is a treasury board appointee and would’ve had knowledge of the contract, Nesbitt wrote.
MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS FILES
The Progressive Conservatives have filed a complaint against Municipal and Northern Relations Minister Ian Bushie.
In question period, interim PC leader Wayne Ewasko asked Premier Wab Kinew to remove Bushie from his duties until the investigation by the ethics minister had concluded. Ewasko accused the NDP of “self-enrichment at the cabinet table” and “sliding $100,000 cheques across the cabinet table.”
Kinew dismissed the calls to remove the minister and said the opposition was using its complaint to cloud Manitobans’ view “of the terrible things they were up to” after allegedly trying to get the controversial Sio Silica sand mine approved after they lost the election but before they were out of office.
Bushie told reporters Monday the long-running agreement has been in place for his store to provide up to $100,000 in groceries and supplies, but it’s never come close to billing that much.
“It’s very minimal,” the minister said.
The total amount government paid to Grandpa George’s in 2023-24 was $1,872, the minister’s press secretary Caedmon Malowany said. So far this year, the store has billed $105.12, he said.
Malowany, who is also Moses’ press secretary, said the natural resources department gets vendors in and around the area to sign an “outline agreement” to provide groceries and supplies to wildfire fighting bases and staff. “(Grandpa George’s) is the largest store in the area … but they can go anywhere and get this stuff,” he said of the wildfire services in the affected region. Grandpa George’s is 200 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg on Lake Winnipeg.
“Outline agreements do not guarantee business to any vendor. The department sets up outline agreements with local vendors to ensure we can purchase needed supplies if and when a fire breaks out in the vicinity,” Malowany said.
They’re authorized by an assistant deputy minister, who has internal spending authority for wildfire and other emergencies, he said. “These agreements do not require treasury board approval and, therefore, the minister would not have recused himself from any cabinet discussion,” he said. An agreement with Grandpa George’s has been in place for years and has been disclosed on the government’s website since 2016.
Bushie, who’s the sole proprietor of the store in his home community, said he’s had “a lengthy conversation” with the ethics commissioner about his business and his disclosures. He said he didn’t think to disclose the arrangement that Grandpa George’s has with the government when he became minister.
“I took it to be an agreement that we have, and not a contract per se. I will have a followup conversation with the ethics commissioner to see how we can clarify this going forward,” the member for Keewatinook said after question period.
“This is something in place for almost 10 years and it provides a vital service for the area. It’s on a per need basis and something that’s significant especially given the remoteness of where we are.”
Ewasko told reporters MLAs are asked to complete a document every year that asks them to disclose government contracts and potential conflicts of interest.
Under the Conflict of Interest (Members Ministers) Act, information about the specific value of assets and liabilities or other details beyond what is reasonably necessary for determining the existence of a conflict is not required to be disclosed. However, ministers must review such information with the commissioner, who must assist members and ministers to ensure adequate disclosure is made under the Act.
“It is a fact that a cabinet minister has a contract for $100,000 that was not disclosed,” Ewasko, the member for Lac du Bonnet said.
“The MLA for Keewatinook has been a member now since 2016, so he should’ve known this.”
carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca
Carol Sanders
Legislature reporter
Carol Sanders is a reporter at the Free Press legislature bureau. The former general assignment reporter and copy editor joined the paper in 1997. Read more about Carol.
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