The Commissioner for Legislative Standards has found that there is no reasonable grounds to conduct an inquiry into Premier Andrew Furey’s fishing trip to a luxury lodge owned by John Risley in July 2021.
Details of the fishing trip first came to light last fall.
It took place about eight months before government lifted the moratorium on wind development.
Because John Risley is a director at World Energy GH2, a company with interests in that industry, and is a close friend of the Premier, many in the opposition parties raised concerns of a potential conflict of interest.
(John Risley File Photo)
The Premier defended the trip as being on his dime and his time, and despite multiple requests from the opposition would not table the receipts for the trip.
Last January, PC MHA Barry Petten requested that the Commissioner for Legislative Standards review the situation.
(File photo.)
The new report states that a formal meeting with the Premier was held during which they were allowed to view the receipt in question, confirming that it was paid for from personal funds, with the Premier stating that it was a gift from his wife.
As well, they looked into the idea of “ethical walls” being put up by the Premier. The Clerk of the Executive Council confirmed that the Premier did establish a “conflict screen” and was “quick to excuse himself” when topics of conflict arose.
The report concludes that the concerns raised by Petten are subjective in nature. They say allegations of a conflict of interest must be objectively justifiable, and there is no evidence to suggest that the Premier furthered the private interests of himself, his family, or a third party.
In a statement, Furey said he’s pleased that the matter has been resolved, and he thanked commissioner Ann Chafe for her work.
