Monday, August 28, 2017

Sask. politician sought Chinese farmland investors

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 has resigned after publicity about the issue.


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.