REGINA - Lobbying activities are the latest focus for opposition New Democrats as they blast the Bunge-Viterra merger.
Opposition Leader Carla Beck has been vocal this week about her criticism of the federal government’s approval of the acquisition of Viterra by the American-based Bunge. In a statement Tuesday, Beck called the deal “bad for Saskatchewan and said the consolidation “puts head office jobs, agriculture and value-added jobs across Saskatchewan and canola crush projects all at risk, and our world-class producers are going to take a hit on their incomes.”
Now, the New Democrats are taking aim at one lobbyist with Sask Party donor ties. On Thursday at a media availability at the Saskatchewan legislature, NDP critic for Jobs and the Economy Aleana Young slammed former MP Monte Solberg for his involvement lobbying for Bunge.
“Bunge hired a major Sask Party donor to lobby Premier Scott Moe and his inner circle on the company's controversial merger with Viterra,” Young told reporters.
“According to the Saskatchewan Lobbyist Registry, Monte Solberg and his team have declared potential meetings, phone calls, and written communication with Premier Moe and senior members of the Sask Party government on behalf of Bunge. Their lobbying campaign to promote, quote, ‘the merger transaction with Viterra’ was first registered in June 2023. And unsurprisingly, unfortunately, Solberg regularly donates to the Saskatchewan Party, contributing thousands of dollars since 2020.”
According to numbers provided from the NDP, Solberg contributed $6,500 to the Sask Party since 2020.
Young also reiterated NDP talking points about the merger, accusing the Sask Party of having sold out the province.
“Producers are going to take a huge hit on their income with less competition and with no control over where they sell their crops or how much. And the loss of 200 head office jobs here in Regina will be a gut punch, as will the loss of our canola crush projects, if they fold. For months, producers have been crystal clear with their views on the matter, and the Saskatchewan NDP have called numerous times on the Sask Party government to oppose this merger. And yet, the Sask Party has refused. And they've sold out Saskatchewan. And they've sold out Saskatchewan producers to an American company.”
When pressed further about the deal, Young made clear it should not be going through.
“I'm a good Saskatchewan New Democrat,” Young said. “I'm used to this province getting hosed by the Sask Party and the federal government, but rarely the same time on the same issue.”
She added that “it's stark that 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 here in Regina.”
Young pointed to opposition from Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan, Sask Barley, and Sask Wheat, and said the Competition Bureau pointed out this is going to lead to increased anti-competitive behaviour in Canada.
Young also blasted other provisions of the merger agreement, including the $500 million the company must invest in Saskatchewan over the next decade. Young pointed to a University of Saskatchewan report that quotes a roughly $700-million cost to Saskatchewan's economy every year from the deal.
She characterized the deal as having an impact ranging from grain terminals to exports in Vancouver.
“Frankly, even here as a local Regina MLA, our city's invested $18 million in supporting the development of those canola crush plants, and all we have at best is a promise that the head office won't leave after five years,” Young said of the deal.
“We've all seen this story play out before. There is no reason for this deal to be going forward, and the only evidence that we have is that the guy lobbying the SaskParty was also giving money to the SaskParty.”
As for details about what lobbying occurred, Young said it was “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, and it doesn't make sense. Again, this is kind of a make-it-make-sense situation. There is nothing in this deal that is going to help Saskatchewan's economy.”
As for the lobbying involvement of Solberg, based out of Alberta, Young said “I feel like we've all seen this story before, thousands of dollars coming in from Alberta-based lobbyists to impact potentially government policy here in Saskatchewan.”
“Yeah, I don't want to say ‘tale as old as time,’ but certainly something that is still increasingly common, despite the fact there is no need for doing politics in this way. And frankly, the average person in Saskatchewan finds it distasteful that you'd have people paying for access.”
SaskToday reached out to the Sask Party government for comment and they have provided this statement:
"It is critical for Canadian producers, Viterra and Bunge to have certainty on this acquisition ahead of the 2025 crop year. In that respect, the Government of Saskatchewan appreciates the timing of the final ruling from the federal government. The Government of Saskatchewan is currently evaluating the over 20 terms and conditions attached to the federal government ruling to help prevent negative impacts on competition in Canada’s grain and oilseed sector. Our priority is ensuring Saskatchewan producers continue to be competitive with access to key global markets.
"The Government of Saskatchewan is regularly lobbied by a variety of individuals and organizations from various industries. Our government created the lobbyist registry to ensure ongoing public transparency and accountability as it allows anyone to search the online registry to see which individuals or organizations are lobbying public office holders."
