“Premier Moe needs to detail any lobbying contact between the Saskatchewan Party government and the Bunge-paid lobbyists.”
Article content
Saskatchewan’s NDP Opposition says the provincial government was lobbied by a Sask. Party donor in the lead-up to Bunge Global SA’s US$8.2-billion acquisition of Viterra Ltd.
U.S.-based Bunge, one of the largest crop trading companies in the world, received approval Tuesday from the Canadian government to acquire Viterra, formerly known as the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool.
Advertisement 2
Article content
Aleana Young, NDP shadow minister of jobs and the economy, said her party opposes the deal and called on Premier Scott Moe to further elaborate on the role of lobbyist Monte Solberg, a former Conservative Party MP who represented the riding of Medicine Hat.
“Premier Moe needs to detail any lobbying contact between the Saskatchewan Party government and the Bunge-paid lobbyists,” said Young during a news conference Thursday. “Who communicated with who? When? And what was discussed?”
Young stopped short of declaring any manner of impropriety in how the lobbying was handled, but she is seeking greater clarity on how it may have influenced the government’s position on the merger.
According to Saskatchewan’s Office of the Registrar of Lobbyists, Solberg works for the Calgary-based lobbying firm New West Public Affairs and was hired by Bunge.
“Lobbying activities include sharing general information about Bunge’s Canadian and Saskatchewan operations, and how merger transaction with Viterra will strengthen the global supply chain and bring increased market access for producers,” reads a description of his activity available on the registrar’s website.
Headline News
Article content
Advertisement 3
Article content
According to publicly available statements, Solberg has donated $6,500 to the Saskatchewan Party since 2020.
The Government of Saskatchewan is regularly lobbied by a variety of organizations and individuals, said the province in a written statement provided Thursday, adding that it created the lobbyist registry “to ensure ongoing public transparency.”
Speaking to the merger, the statement says it’s “critical” for Viterra and Bunge to have “certainty ahead of the 2025 crop year” and the province appreciates the timing of the federal government’s ruling.
“The Government of Saskatchewan is currently evaluating the over 20 terms and conditions attached to the … ruling to help prevent negative impacts on competition in Canada’s grain and oilseed sector,” the statement notes. “Our priority is ensuring Saskatchewan producers continue to be competitive with access to key global markets.”
Young said the deal has been opposed by groups like the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan (APAS) and the Grain Growers of Canada (GGC).
“It’s incumbent on the premier and this government to talk about why they were lobbied, when and what was discussed because, again, this is a bad deal for Saskatchewan,” said Young.
Advertisement 4
Article content
“On the face of it, it’s selling out Saskatchewan’s future economic prosperity.”
When news broke of the deal Wednesday, APAS sounded alarms over how it could affect Saskatchewan agriculture.
“The government’s green-lighted the Bunge-Viterra merger but the decision sidestepped big issues like the projected $800M hit to farmers wallets and control over nearly half the Vancouver Port,” read a public statement.
A University of Saskatchewan report estimated annual losses from the merger will amount to $770 million for grain farmers.
“This deal shouldn’t be going through,” said Young.
“You have literally every single agricultural voice in the province opposing this deal for the impact that it’s going to have on producers, on the economy, on economic development and the canola crush plants.”
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include a response from the Saskatchewan government.
—with files from Michael Joel-Hansen at the Saskatoon StarPhoenix
The Regina Leader-Post has created an Afternoon Headlines newsletter that can be delivered daily to your inbox so you are up to date with the most vital news of the day. Click here to subscribe.
With some online platforms blocking access to the journalism upon which you depend, our website is your destination for up-to-the-minute news, so make sure to bookmark leaderpost.com and sign up for our newsletters so we can keep you informed. Click here to subscribe.
Article content
