Premier Moe reviewed Bill Boyd's irrigation project, later declared illegal, sometime in 2017

Premier Scott Moe says he saw plans in 2017 for an irrigation project by former Kindersley MLA Bill Boyd for which Boyd later pleaded guilty to breaking environmental laws.

On Tuesday, Boyd was fined a total of $35,000 in relation to two charges laid in 2017. One involved illegally cultivating about six acres of protected grasslands and the other involved building irrigation infrastructure into a river without obtaining the proper licensing permits.

Saskatchewan NDP leader Ryan Meili raised concerns about the government's treatment of Boyd's application for the irrigation project on Wednesday and Thursday in question period.

Meili said he is concerned about "potential political interference."

Moe was the minister of environment and the minister responsible for the water security agency in 2017. He said Boyd showed him plans for the project, but that Boyd had not yet been found to have violated any laws at that time. 

"I had a conversation with him (Boyd) where he showed me a set of plans on an irrigation piece that he had," Moe said Thursday. "It would be very similar to any conversation I would have with people across the province."

Asked when exactly he met with Boyd, Moe said, "I don't remember."

Moe, other senior officials met about Boyd's project

In an email dated June 5, 2017, obtained by the NDP and shared with media, an official from the Water Security Agency wrote to WSA President and CEO Susan Ross:

"On Friday Minister of Agriculture (MOA) had asked us to hold off on issuing until they had discussed this project with Minister of Environment (MOE) as it was learned that Wildlife Habitat Protection Act designated lands adjacent to Mr. Boyd's property had been broken in contravention of the Wildlife Habitat Protection Act.

"I have just heard that this afternoon there was an unscheduled meeting between the DMs [deputy ministers] for MOA and MOE with Alanna Koch [then deputy minister to Brad Wall] and the ADM of Ag also in attendance."

The email went on to say government officials would be on the site to inspect. It said Boyd was contacted and may be attending the site as well.

The WSA official wrote, "we have been asked to continue to hold off on issuing approvals for the time being."

'It was a high-profile individual'

Moe confirmed on Thursday that he attended the meeting the June 5 email was referring to.

"I didn't direct, invite or schedule the meeting. I was invited to attend the meeting and I did," he said.

"It was where we were informed of the infraction that occurred on the shoreline."

Moe said it is not uncommon for the deputy to the premier, and deputy ministers to brief ministers on issues.

"In this case, it was a high-profile individual with what appeared to be a severe infraction in a very sensitive area on the shores of the South Saskatchewan River," Moe said.

"I did make one comment at that meeting, I did say that it would be worthwhile to have an experienced investigator."

Moe defended the process and those who evaluated Boyd's applications. He said he did not discuss the matter with Boyd after he was made aware that the project was in contravention of the Wildlife Habitat Protection Act.

"There was a failure in following the law," Moe said.

WSA president defends process

Prior to question period Meili received a letter from the president of the WSA. That letter was later provided to media by the government.

"He (Boyd) was treated as any other citizen would have been had he or she taken the same actions." wrote WSA president Susan Ross in that email.

"I can assure you that WSA officials are professional public servants and acted appropriately throughout this case."

​Meili said once Boyd showed Moe his irrigation project Moe should have told him to put the brakes on it.

"That project should have been halted until everything was resolved," Meili said.

Meili questions China connection

The NDP leader also questioned whether the handling of Boyd's application was connected in any way to a controversial irrigation project Boyd pitched to investors during a trip to China.

In March 2017, Boyd was the keynote speaker at a seminar in Beijing pitching an investment opportunity to Chinese people wanting to immigrate to Canada. Boyd was personally connected to the business venture.

Boyd told Chinese investors that for $300,000, they would own 80 per cent of an irrigation pivot, hardware that can water 65 hectares (160 acres) of land in a circular pattern.

A Chinese promoter claimed this investment would help Chinese entrepreneurs attain permanent residence in Canada through the entrepreneurial category of the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) — the very program Boyd used to oversee when he was the minister.

During Thursday's question period, Meili said he wants to know how Boyd's irrigation project and subsequent violations link to his trip to China, for which he was found in a conflict of interest.

"How does this project connect to what he was doing in China and being there talking about the immigration side of things. In what way does the pace of that project influence the pace of this project in Saskatchewan," Meili said.

Moe said he does not recall if the 2017 meeting about Boyd's application took place before or after Boyd's trip to China to promote the irrigation project, or before or after any other applications were submitted.