A report from the provincial auditor says the Saskatchewan government should have done more to protect taxpayers from inflated land prices in the Global Transportation Hub land deal.
At the request of the premier, Judy Ferguson launched a special investigation into the deal that had come under scrutiny due to high final costs. The land was bought for the Regina bypass in 2014 for a total cost of $21 million, higher than what nearby land was being sold for.
The auditor found that the way in which the Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure buys land leaves taxpayers vulnerable for paying for increased land values. The office recommends the government explore alternate methods, in a way that would better time out the land purchases.
The report found that the Energy Minister’s involvement in the deal made the process more complexm and better coordination should have been in place.
The report found no evidence of conflict of interest or fraud in the deal.
This story is developing. Check back for updates.