'Weasel words': NDP accuses premier of trying to hide truth about vendor-sponsored travel

The leader of the Saskatchewan NDP says Premier Scott Moe's ongoing review of vendor-sponsored travel in the Saskatchewan government is deceptive and designed to conceal the truth about what is really going on. 

Last week, Moe asked his deputy to review how widespread vendor-sponsored travel is after a CBC story about eHeath employees going on trips paid for by companies doing business with the government.

• Sask. eHealth exec got free PGA golf trip from vendor doing business with province

During Question Period Thursday, Moe said the results of the deputy's review will be publicly released, on one condition.

"If he finds any vendor-sponsored travel that is in violation of the government policy, of the conflict of interest policy, Mr. Speaker, we will endeavour to release that list to the people of this province." 

This just creates more and more suspicion that there must be something really bad going on.- Ryan Meili, Saskatchewan NDP leader

Sask. NDP leader Ryan Meili called out Moe, saying the premier was using purposely deceptive "weasel words."

Meili said the government's policy is vague and allows for public employees to take free trips from companies doing business with the government.

He said the premier is playing word games because even if the review uncovered dozens of cases of vendor-sponsored travel, it could all be deemed within policy and therefore would not be publicly flagged as a violation.

Meili said Moe is using "the most lawyerly of language - using weasel words to hide behind the fact that he's not trying to actually get to the truth. He's trying to get to an answer that hides the truth.

"He's been very selective in his choice of words because he knows that there has been vendor-sponsored travel that wasn't against the policy."

The NDP wants the government to publicly release all instances of vendor-sponsored travel, whether it violates policy or not.

Premier doesn't know if policy forbids vendor-sponsored travel

On Thursday, Moe acknowledged the policy isn't clear about whether vendor-sponsored travel is OK or not.

He said as part of the review, his deputy will try to figure that out too.

"I think those are some of the definitions that my deputy will be defining when he finds his way to the end of this review that he's doing and he'll explain that at that time," said Moe in a scrum with reporters Thursday.

Government of Saskatchewan policy doesn't explicitly condemn vendor-sponsored travel. The topic is not addressed.

"An employee should never accept any gift or service that could be viewed as a payment for services rendered through his/her employment in the public service," says the Public Service Commission policy. It adds that a government employee may accept, "the normal exchange of hospitality between persons doing business together; or tokens exchanged as part of protocol." 

It doesn't define what a "normal exchange" is and isn't.

By contrast, policy in the Saskatoon Health Region explicitly says "normal exchange" includes "lunches and trips, meals, travel, accommodations paid by the vendor," whereas eHealth's policy says employees must decline free flights, conference registrations or all-expenses-paid trips.

Some jurisdictions are even more explicit. In a Q & A format, the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority's industry relationship policy asks if a public health care worker can accept travel costs to attend a presentation about a new medical device.

"No. This scenario is an opportunity by a private company to exert influence over WRHA staff. Contributing to this influence is the fact that the vendor will be paying all travel costs to attend," the policy says.

Premier claims vendor-sponsored travel rare

CBC recently highlighted the case of three eHealth employees who were fired after taking vendor-paid trips. 

Moe has repeatedly claimed in the legislature that this is the only case of vendor-sponsored travel identified in the province to date.

"So far we've been looking into the Crown agencies and ministries, Mr. Speaker, and we actually haven't found any additional cases where vendor travel has occurred," Moe said in the legislature Monday. "That's why I'm comfortable with the current policy that effectively prohibits vendor-sponsored travel by public servants."

However, a former senior eHealth official previously told CBC that employees from several health regions went on a trip to Austin, Texas with all expenses covered by a vendor.

"We all know that it was happening in health regions," Meili said. "What [Moe is] not willing to say is was it happening elsewhere."

Meili said Moe's lack of clarity is telling.

"This just creates more and more suspicion that there must be something really bad going on."

Moe told reporters the review shouldn't take much longer — perhaps just a few more weeks.