The Saskatchewan legislature looked a lot like an episode of the X-Files during its final week of the legislative session May 15 to 18.
Cyber attacks, private servers and conspiracy theories all came up in Question Period during a week that went down as one of the more bizarre in the leg in a long, long time.
The week began with news that government websites had been felled by a cyber attack over the weekend, though it was unclear if it was related to the massive ransomware attack that impacted over a hundred countries across the world.
That was the context to opposition leader Trent Wotherspoon’s opening questions to Premier Brad Wall on a related issue: the Premier’s use of private email servers. Here is just some of the exchange Monday in Question Period, as recorded in Hansard.
Mr. Wotherspoon: — Mr. Speaker, for the Sask Party’s GTH [Global Transportation Hub] I guess so-called negotiations that led to nuns, other landowners, and taxpayers being ripped off, two Sask Party supporters making off with $11 million, and 300 acres of land being handed to CP [Canadian Pacific] Rail, for any part of that scandal did the Premier use his private server?
The Speaker: — I recognize the Premier.
Hon. Mr. Wall: — Mr. Speaker, it could well be the case because I have used that private account, as all members of this Assembly have used their private accounts for — and sometimes party accounts — for government business.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the fact that the Leader of the Opposition asked the questions in estimates last week. I hadn’t thought much about the whole issue of the email accounts I’m using because the one I use is secure. It’s never been breached, Mr. Speaker. I can share that with members of the House. It’s also password protected so I’m the only one that has access to it.
It’s FOI [freedom of information]-able actually, as the members opposite know because they were reading from an email that they received as a result of a freedom of information request. And, Mr. Speaker, also like any communication from members of the government to anyone else on government business, it’s going to be the product of a transfer to Archives when that is appropriate.
And so, Mr. Speaker, it could well be that during that period of time I would’ve used a government account or the private account, Mr. Speaker. None of that changes the fact that his entire preamble was the subject of a review by the Provincial Auditor, and the auditor’s report has been tabled. We’ve accepted those recommendations.
The Speaker: — I recognize the Leader of the Opposition.
Mr. Wotherspoon: — Well this is troubling. And today we also heard of an attack on the government’s secure server, and that’s because of course it’s publicly reported. How would the public ever hear of an attempt or breach of the Premier’s private server?
The Speaker: — I recognize the Premier.
Hon. Mr. Wall: — Mr. Speaker, I’m sharing with you now. There has never been a breach of that server. And, Mr. Speaker, I would share with you that that server in particular has been more consistent in its operation than the government server, as I have communicated with members on the government side and they’ve . . . unable to communicate back, at least on their government account, because the government’s system was down. Fortunately, mine was not…
I would say this though, Mr. Speaker, as a result of the member’s questions last week. As members of this House will know, I made a decision last week to simply be more focused and send all of my government-related emails on the government account. I think all of us in this House — officials and elected members — can redouble our efforts to do the same thing.
The Speaker: — I recognize the Leader of the Opposition.
Mr. Wotherspoon: — So he suggests that there hasn’t been a breach. And I guess it’s just trust him at this point, and we don’t know about whether or not there’s been an attempt or an attack on this. But the question to the Premier: how does he know this, and how do we know this?
The Speaker: — I recognize the Premier.
Hon. Mr. Wall: — We know . . . How do we . . . We know this because there has not been a breach. Period.
The Speaker: — I recognize the Leader of the Opposition.
Mr. Wotherspoon: — So he says there hasn’t been a breach. Has there been attempts to breach that account, that private server of the Premier?
The Speaker: — I recognize the Premier.
Hon. Mr. Wall: — Mr. Speaker, I’m not aware. There may well have been, but the security measures at the server meet the test and, based on results, I would say exceed the test of a government server. Mr. Speaker, in this respect, I’m not aware if there’s been any attempts to breach the server or the government server. I guess we could provide information . . . I could provide that information to the Leader of the NDP [New Democratic Party]. I’m happy to do it. But I could tell him that there has never been a breach of that server with respect to my email account, which is password protected and accessible only by myself.
The Speaker: — I recognize the Leader of the Opposition.
Mr. Wotherspoon: — So the Premier’s response about his private server is that there may well have been an attempt. In the public case, in the public case, that is reported. So how do we know? How do the people of Saskatchewan know the security of this server?
The Speaker: — I recognize the Premier.
Hon. Mr. Wall: — Mr. Speaker, his House Leader sometimes conducts the government business, the affairs of this legislature, using — well he has on at least one occasion — using his NDP Party server account. I mean that was legislative business. Can he tell me, has the NDP server that his members have used for the email account ever been breached?
The Speaker: —I recognize the Leader of the Opposition.
Mr. Wotherspoon: — The question is where is this server housed? Where is it located?
The Speaker: —I recognize the Premier.
Hon. Mr. Wall: — Mr. Speaker, I want to share with members of the House that the server is provided by a Regina company that’s housed at the Sask Party headquarters. It’s a Sask Party domain name that has been my email, this particular email account that I’ll use from time to time — by the way, as his House Leader has done when he’s been conducting correspondence with respect to government business.
The Speaker: — I recognize the Leader of the Opposition.
Mr. Wotherspoon: — So just to clarify here, is the Premier of Saskatchewan actually saying that the information, the emails, of course of which are of a foreign interest, are commercially sensitive, that deal with international matters, is he suggesting that . . . And certainly through the expense of significant public dollars, is he suggesting he’s been doing that through a party server?
The Speaker: — I recognize the Premier.
Hon. Mr. Wall: — Mr. Speaker, yes. That shouldn’t surprise very many people. I’ve had exchanges with members of the media, who have for years now had that same account, that same email address. Let me review again, let me review again the situation. The email, the account upon which the email is delivered, is secure. The server is secure. It has not been breached…
On Tuesday, it was more of the same.
Mr. Wotherspoon: — Mr. Speaker, yesterday I asked the Premier if he was using his private email or his email on his private political server to make deals for the GTH [Global Transportation Hub], and he acted as if nothing was wrong when he said, basically, yes of course he was.
Mr. Speaker, setting that arrogance aside just for a moment, were all those emails turned over to the auditor? Was the auditor given full access to his private political server? And do other senior staff and cabinet ministers also use this private political server to negotiate international, national, or even provincial deals, like the Premier has been?
The Speaker: — I recognize the Premier.
Hon. Mr. Wall: — Well, Mr. Speaker, I answered these questions yesterday and in estimates the week before and then did meet with the media yesterday as well to answer questions. There would’ve been . . . Mr. Speaker, first of all I don’t negotiate deals via email, Mr. Speaker, and moreover it would be rare for a Premier or even a minister to be directly negotiating deals, whether it’s over an email or in some other way of communication. So I think it’s pretty clear that that would not have happened.
Moreover, Mr. Speaker, all of the information required by the auditor for her look into the matter was provided. Mr. Speaker, we went well beyond what governments in the past, including when members opposite were government and they had their own officials investigate their own issues. We had an independent officer of the legislature do that investigation and, Mr. Speaker, all cabinet documents, all related documents were made available to the auditor. And she’s made her report and made recommendations which we take very seriously…
The Speaker: — I recognize the Leader of the Opposition.
Mr. Wotherspoon: — No answer from the Premier. No answers on the GTH deal, day after day...
On Wednesday, the NDP resumed their attack. However, Premier Wall and minister of the Economy and the GTH Jeremy Harrison were ready with some attacks of their own directed at the other side of the house.
Mr. Wotherspoon: — Mr. Speaker, no answer, and that Premier has no mandate from Saskatchewan people for his devastating budget. But we do know that the Premier was using the same private political email account to deal with a giveaway to the biggest corporations, to discuss international trade deals, collect sensitive commercial information, and Mr. Speaker, also to collect big money from Sask Party donors.
Can the Premier of Saskatchewan not see anything wrong with this? And will he stand by, will he stand by the statement of the minister as it relates to the scandal-plagued minister’s utilization of that political server?
The Speaker: — I recognize the Premier.
Hon. Mr. Wall: — Mr. Speaker, what utter nonsense from the member opposite. What he’s alleging, it’s absolute fantasy, Mr. Speaker.
… We’ll stick with both the record of the government and our plan going forward in the budget that he did kind of reference in a side-swipe in his preamble. That budget provides for a three-year plan to get back to balance in this province. It provides for measures on the tax side that will keep our economy strong. It provides for the largest budget in Social Services in the history of the province, a nine per cent increase, even as we’re facing some challenges on the revenue side.
It provides for strategic investments in health care so that Regina and Saskatoon could see relief in terms of emergency rooms in the province. It provides for continued momentum for surgical wait times. It provides for the business climate that’s just seen Saskatchewan lead the country in terms of manufacturing sales and, Mr. Speaker, a record that includes 60,000 more jobs today than when members opposite were in government, when they were doing more than engaging in conspiracy and fantasy.
The Speaker: — I recognize the Leader of the Opposition.
Mr. Wotherspoon: — Mr. Speaker, a server at the Sask Party office holds government communications and information, public and private and commercially sensitive information. It also holds the Sask Party big donor list. The Premier really sees no conflict with this? Really?
The Speaker: — I recognize the Minister of the Economy.
Hon. Mr. Harrison: — Unbelievable. Fantasy conspiracy theories from the Leader of the Opposition about engaging in international trade negotiations betrays a complete lack of understanding as to how these things work, Mr. Speaker. I know the member opposite has never been in government but he has members who have been in government.
When we’re dealing with trade discussions, largely they’re dealt with at the officials’ level. The officials will brief the minister responsible. The minister responsible will brief the Premier for direction. That’s how it works, Mr. Speaker. First ministers are not engaged in email negotiations about international trade agreements. That is not how it works.
But as I have said, Mr. Speaker, the account is secure. All of the rules with regard to FOI, with regard to archives have been complied with and we’ll continue to do that going forward.
Saskatoon Centre MLA David Forbes clearly had Elvis on his mind when he joined the debate.
Mr. Forbes: — Mr. Speaker, the Premier is getting all shook up and refusing to answer any questions, but that’s not all right. And we’re going to keep hunting for answers like a hound dog because, Mr. Speaker, the fact is it’s not just suspicious minds. People across Saskatchewan want to know what the Premier is doing, the work of government on a private political server housed at the Sask Party office.
Mr. Speaker, the Premier wants a little less conversation but the people of Saskatchewan deserve a straight answer. Does the Premier honestly see no problem with using the same email server that he’s using to fundraise with, that’s he’s using to fundraise with, and to do the work of the Premier of Saskatchewan?
The Speaker: —I recognize the Minister of the Economy.
Hon. Mr. Harrison: — I think it’s illustrative, Mr. Speaker, that the member opposite can’t even keep a straight face asking that question. They clearly prefer to engage in fantasy conspiracy theories. There are, as the Premier indicated, many legitimate issues they could be raising in the Assembly that are rightfully important to people across the province. They’ve chosen to engage in fantasy conspiracy theories with members asking questions that they can’t even keep a straight face while asking, Mr. Speaker, because they’re very aware that it is a fantasy conspiracy theory.
And that member particularly, who has been using his personal address to engage in government business, along with a number of his colleagues who have done so as well. Mr. Speaker, there’s a word for that. It’s called hypocrisy.
