Commissioner rules Cockrill breached Sask. conflict of interest laws

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The commissioner has recommended Cockrill receive a reprimand as penalty, arguing that a fine, suspension or “declaration of vacancy” would be “wholly disproportionate.”

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Saskatchewan Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill’s connection to a family-owned window company breached conflict of interest laws, the commissioner ruled in a report published Monday.

The Battlefords MLA was elected in 2020. In 2021, Fortress Windows and Doors received $179,137 in contracts from the Battleford Housing Authority (BHA). A public disclosure form filed that year listed Cockrill as an advisor for the company and, in 2022, he was listed as holding a part-time sales position.

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In the report, Conflict of Interest Commissioner Maurice Herauf says Cockrill “acted appropriately” by seeking advice from his office on disclosure, but that no specific advice was “sought or provided” to him regarding his continued employment.

“I have no reason to believe these contracts were not awarded through the usual competitive process,” added Herauf, whose report also notes the company did business with the BHA prior to Cockrill’s election.

Herauf states the “sole issue here is the failure of Mr. Cockrill to step away from the company or to obtain an exemption.” The commissioner ruled that Cockrill breached Section 15 of the province’s Members’ Conflict of Interest Act, which prohibits participation in government contracts.

“I do not consider his breach of the Act to have been intentional or deliberate,” said the report.

The commissioner has recommended Cockrill receive a reprimand, arguing that a fine, suspension or “declaration of vacancy” would be “wholly disproportionate.”

“His interest in Fortress was remote, albeit captured by the Act,” Herauf wrote. “His limited participation is confirmed by the small amounts of his employment income and bonus in 2021.”

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Cockrill’s connection to Fortress Windows and Doors came into question when the Saskatchewan NDP requested an investigation earlier this year.

Cockrill was also the subject of an investigation into his investment in two helium companies. In a second report released Monday, Herauf ruled that Cockrill is not in contravention of sections 3 or 15 of the act.

Both investigations were prompted by NDP shadow minister for ethics and democracy Meara Conway. In her letter to Herauf, Conway laid out how Cockrill’s 2022 disclosure form listed investments in Helium Evolution and Royal Helium while a member of cabinet. Conway brought forward her complaint on May 17, 2024.

The report states that Cockrill still owns 75,000 shares in Helium Evolution, worth approximately $9,000.

Conway flagged that Cockrill’s investments as a cabinet minister “raise questions given government initiatives to develop Saskatchewan’s helium industry, as well as ongoing government contracts with these companies.”

Herauf wrote that Helium Evolution and Royal Helium both received permits from the government and that, while serving as a minister, Cockrill was involved in the Helium Action Plan (HAP) twice “during his tenure, and he did not recuse himself from those discussions.” Neither company was specifically mentioned on those Cabinet agendas and, as such, Cockrill did not excuse himself, wrote Herauf.

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Separate from the HAP coming to cabinet, “there have been a ‘couple of times’ when Royal Helium or Helium Evolution have been specifically named on the agenda,” wrote Herauf. On those occasions, Herauf accepted that Cockrill followed proper procedure and recused himself from the discussions.

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