Saskatchewan's
conflict of interest commissioner says Bill
Boyd, former Saskatchewan minister of economic affairs,
crossed the
line by seeking Chinese investors to irrigate
farmland.
Boyd
was involved with a company that went to China earlier this year to
attract investors for irrigation projects on Saskatchewan farmland.
But
while on the trip, Boyd was identified as minister of the economy —
a position he resigned from in August, 2016, — and a presentation
he delivered had the Saskatchewan government logo on the slides.
Boyd
has said he went as a farmer and private businessman.
Commissioner
Bill Barclay says Boyd’s actions fall below the standards expected
of members of the assembly.
"In
my view, despite Mr. Boyd's claim that he stated during the
presentation that he was only present as a private business person,
these circumstances show that he was using his office as an MLA to
seek to influence the decisions of potential investors," Barclay
wrote in his 15-page long report released Monday.
Boyd
announced earlier this month that he's retiring from public life and
resigning his seat in Kindersley, effective Sept. 1.
