Saskatchewan’s provincial auditor has announced plans to investigate the provincial government’s acquisition of new firefighting planes. However, the Opposition NDP has expressed dissatisfaction, believing that the audit should delve deeper.
The audit of the new planes procured by the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency will be integrated into the auditor’s routine yearly evaluation, as confirmed by Tara Clemett’s office last Friday. This development follows allegations made by a B.C. company in court documents, suggesting that the government significantly overpaid for four firefighting aircraft from a competitor, bypassing a competitive bidding process.
During a public accounts committee meeting at the Legislature on Monday, NDP MLA Hugh Gordon proposed a motion for a special inquiry into the maintenance and procurement of the aircraft. Unfortunately, the motion was defeated, with two NDP committee members in support and four Sask. Party members opposing it.
Jordan McPhail, the NDP MLA for Cumberland, emphasized the necessity of a comprehensive investigation into the wildfire response and the contentious plane purchase, expressing frustration and disappointment over the lack of action. He stressed the importance of accountability, especially for those who have suffered losses due to wildfires.
The NDP spokesperson highlighted two key concerns regarding the auditor’s involvement in the annual review versus a dedicated investigation. Firstly, they anticipate delays in addressing procurement issues until the next fire season or later. Secondly, they advocate for an examination of the grounding of additional firefighting planes.
The government faced criticism this summer when four firefighting aircraft in its fleet were grounded for maintenance or operational reasons during the peak of the wildfire season. The purchase of four new firefighting planes, approved by the cabinet in February from B.C.-based Conair group for $187 million, has raised scrutiny. Despite the delivery of the first plane earlier this year, it remained grounded for several months due to pilot certification delays.
In August, Coulson Aircrane, another B.C.-based company, alleged in a court filing that the government overpaid for the new Q400 planes by approximately $100 million, advocating for a fair and transparent competition process. Coulson’s president, Britt Coulson, suggested that his company could have provided four comparable airplanes for a significantly lower cost, potentially saving taxpayers millions.
A government spokesperson responded to the situation, indicating that the provincial auditor had committed to reviewing the aircraft purchases, a move welcomed by the government.
