MLA says Manitoba government trying to silence, intimidate him after he made meddling allegations

A Manitoba MLA says the provincial government is trying to silence his questioning of a high-ranking bureaucrat he has accused of interfering in the awarding of a major provincial contract.

NDP MLA Adrien Sala said late Wednesday in the legislature that he's the subject of a formal complaint under the province's respectful workforce policy.

He called it an unprecedentedattempt to try to intimidate an elected official and expose the identities of any whistleblowers.

Sala said he was asked to reveal all information and research pertaining to the NDP's allegation that Paul Beauregard, secretary of the Treasury Board, interfered in the awarding of a data network contract.

He's also been told to reveal his discussions with the independent auditorgeneral's office, as well as with any journalists, and to sign a non-disclosure agreement.

"These demands were made all in secret and Mr. Beauregard demanded these facts be kept secret under threat of sanction to me," Sala said in the chamber late Wednesday, following question period.

Former telecom head accused of meddling

"This process has moved from an inquiry to an inquisition," he said.

Sala has previously alleged that Beauregard prevented Manitoba Hydro Internationalthe Crown corporation's commercial branchfrom bidding on a contract to provide networking services to various government offices across Manitoba.

The original 10-year, $120-million contract was signed in 2010 with Manitoba Telecom Services. When it expired, an extension was awarded to Bell MTS (the company created after Bell acquired MTS) without going to tender, the NDP said.

Beauregard once served as an executive at MTS.

The NDP asked the auditor general in September to investigate the alleged conflict of interest.

Minister of Crown Services Jeff Wharton has previously called the NDP's allegation baseless. He said the extension of the network agreement was urgently needed to address the connectivity requirements stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Wednesday, Sala said the efforts to silence him are an act of intimidation. Sala said they're trying to undermine his freedom to question the actions of government in question period.

Inside the chamber, MLAs are granted parliamentary privilege, which amounts to the ability to raise matters without the fear of legal consequences. If a member goes too far, the Speaker can ask the MLA to withdraw thecomment.

Sala accused the government of trying to take advantage of its respectful workplace policy, which is meant to protect civil servants from harassment and bullying.

"This has been an attempt on the part of high-ranking officials of the Pallister government to stop me from doing my job," Sala said.

"I feel I must stand up and speak up because it represents an attack on the most important ability of an MLA: to speak truth to power and to ask questions in this chamber."

The issue was raised in question period several times this fall, prompting fiery exchanges between Sala and Premier Brian Pallister.

'Maliciously defaming' Beauregard: Pallister

In late October, Pallister accused the NDP of "maliciously defaming" Beauregard. On Thursday, he described the complaint as a personal attack against a civil servant based on false information.

Asked whether he thinks the complaint against Sala is in keeping with the respectful workplace legislation, Pallister said it is the NDP whoengaged in "unprecedented" criticism.

"They should be ashamed of themselves," he said. "I am going tostand up for our civil servants at every level."

WATCH | Premier calls NDP accusations 'false, poorly researched':

Premier calls NDP accusations 'false, poorly researched'

4 years ago

Duration 0:53

Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister suggested a complaint by St. James NDP MLA Adrien Sala was an unfair attack against a civil servant.

Government House Leader Kelvin Goertzen responded to Sala's address late Wednesday, which was raised as a matter of privilegea formal complaint in the legislature.

Goertzen said while MLAs have the right to criticize each otherin the chamber, sometimes harshly, that privilege isn't extended to civil servants.

"Whether the member might argue that he has some sort of privilege granted to him in this House to slag or somehow otherwise drag a civil servant, a public servant, through the mud because of that privilege I don't think it passes the test of what we should lift ourselves up to."

'Hybrid political-public servants'

Paul Thomas, professor emeritus of political studiesat the University of Manitoba, questioned whether complaints from someone in Beauregard's position should fall under the respectful workplace legislation.

Beauregard was appointed in recent years. He donated to Pallister's campaign to become leader of the Progressive Conservatives andis a confidant of the premier,said Thomas.

He said Beauregard isn'tacareer civil servant in the traditional sense.

"These people don't deserve the same level of protections as a long-standing deputy," said Thomas.

Deputies"are a different type of political actor in the governing process than these hybrid political-public servants," he said.