Denied answers in the House of Assembly, the official opposition is urging the province’s auditor general to investigate Canopy Growth’s agreement with the provincial government.
Progressive Conservative leader Ches Crosbie has sent a letter to AG Julia Mullaly to look into the contract which provides the cannabis company with up to $40 million in reduced tax remittances.
The PCs have made the same request in the House of Assembly, and while Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation Minister Chris Mitchelmore says he has no trouble with the auditor general looking at the contract, he has made no commitment to a specific request for the contract to be reviewed.
“In this case, what’s being asked by the official opposition is something with private business-to-business matters that would be outside the scope of what the auditor general could conduct,” Mitchelmore told reporters last week.
The PCs, however, suggest that Auditor General act allows the AG to “make those examinations and inquiries that the auditor general considers necessary”, to require the production of information not currently available and to report to the House with recommendations as the Auditor General considers necessary.”
A review, the Tories say, is needed because tax payers should know why the government selected Canopy, how it was selected, who is benefitting from it and whether taxpayers are getting fair value from the deal.
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