The Saskatchewan NDP’s recent criticism of political lobbyists has backfired. During question period on Monday, the government revealed an NDP email in which the party requested sponsorship from a lobby firm that it had previously criticized. The official opposition has been especially vocal in recent days of how some government work has gone to out of province contractors, some of whom employ former MLA’s as lobbyists. On Monday, the province obtained material showing the Saskatchewan NDP seeking corporate sponsorship from Prairie Sky Strategies. “Do you know why they sent them? A letter, Mr. Speaker,” Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Don McMorris said during question period. “They’re begging and pleading for a $5,000 donation for that leader of the opposition.” “Say the same thing in every room. Tell your party that,” he added. The email to the lobby firm was an invitation from the Sask. NDP to attend or sponsor a Carla Beck reception next month. The email read: “With an election coming this year, it is a great chance to chat with possibly the first female Premier in Saskatchewan history, Carla Beck, and her team of MLAs.” Tim Williams, who serves as the provincial secretary for the Saskatchewan NDP, told CTV News that soliciting corporate sponsorship is something the party would prefer not to do. “Lots of companies do attend everybody’s events. We’ve been pretty clear that we don’t believe that this kind of fundraising is the long term best solution for democracy,” he explained. “So we’ve committed on a number of occasions that an NDP government will change the laws to move it to individual fundraising.” According to the NDP, Prairie Sky Strategies did not attend its golf tournament last year and so far has not responded to the invitation to attend the upcoming leader’s reception.
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