Former Sask Party MLA Gary Grewal defends conduct, disagrees with commissioners report

Former Saskatchewan Party MLA Gary Grewal is defending his conduct and disagreeing with a recent report from the Conflict of Interest Commissioner (COIC) – which found he broke rules that prohibit MLAs from being involved with government contracts.

Former Saskatchewan Party MLA Gary Grewal is defending his conduct and disagreeing with a recent report from the Conflict of Interest Commissioner (COIC) – which found he broke rules that prohibit MLAs from being involved with government contracts.

Grewal sent an extended statement to CTV News on Wednesday – outlining his involvement in both the Sunrise Motel and the Thriftlodge calling the COIC’s decision “unfair.”

“I continue to firmly maintain my position that a social worker arranging a room for a vulnerable citizen at a motel does not constitute a ‘government contract’ and believe the Commissioner’s ruling completely misinterprets the nature of these transactions, which are essentially vouchers issued to individuals in need of temporary shelter,” the statement read.

Grewal is listed as the owner of the Sunrise Motel which received $220,474 while hosting social service clients from 2022-2023.

His involvement in the Thriftlodge was in the form of lending $100,000 to the establishment. The Thriftlodge received $139,478 from April 2023 to September 2024.

The COIC found that Grewal failed to divest himself from the Thriftlodge as a lender. He says he received no prior direction from the COIC to call in the loan and reiterated that he held no ownership stake in the motel.

Premier Scott Moe said earlier in the week that he accepted the commissioner’s findings.