Saskatchewan government won’t make partisan appointments to new trade offices, minister says

Saskatchewan’s Trade Minister says the government won’t be making partisan staff appointments to three new international offices.

Jeremy Harrison says hiring decisions will be made by the public service, and taxpayers won’t see the trade offices filled with former politicians or large donors to the Saskatchewan Party.

Premier Scott Moe on Thursday announced new offices in Japan, India and Singapore as part of a plan to expand exports and strengthen trade relationships.

Mr. Harrison says the move is proof that Saskatchewan is asserting more provincial autonomy.

“As dependent as we are on international trade, we need to be in these markets because we have seen things go the wrong way,” he said Friday.

The province currently has one office in Shanghai that’s budgeted to cost about $335,000 this year. It’s staffed with one government employee, as well as a local assistant and business development officer.

A government spokesman has said opening the three new centres is expected to cost a total of about $4.2-million.

Mr. Harrison is to leave this weekend on a trade mission to India and is to be accompanied by former Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper, whose consulting company the province has hired on a one-year contract for $240,000.

Mr. Harrison said Mr. Harper’s experience in trade negotiations will benefit Saskatchewan as it tries to maintain and expand its relationships overseas.

He said there’s been a decline in Saskatchewan exports to India to about $650-million last year from about $2-billion in 2015.

Mr. Harrison has criticized current Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s 2018 trip to India as hurting the province. He suggested it factored into Saskatchewan’s decision to assert itself more strongly internationally.

“I know whether I would rather have with us on this mission to India the former or current prime minister accompanying us.”

Our Morning Update and Evening Update newsletters are written by Globe editors, giving you a concise summary of the day’s most important headlines. Sign up today.