02/06/2023

Treaty 1 and Dakota Territory, Homeland of the Métis Nation, Winnipeg MB—The Official Opposition is calling on the Premier to answer questions about access to government information and contracts awarded to companies represented by her campaign chair.­­

“The Premier and her hand picked staff shouldn’t be mixing business and politics. Manitobans need to know there is a level playing field and the Premier’s campaign chair does not have access to insider information. The Premier should answer questions about what access this person has and commit to recusing herself from any interactions with him,” said an NDP Caucus spokesperson. 

Media reports name Michael Diamond as a campaign chair for the PC Party. At the same time, Diamond is a registered lobbyist for a number of health care companies, including Bayshore Healthcare, that have received millions in contracts from the Manitoba Government.

Public records state Diamond’s lobbying activities have as a goal to “influence the awarding of a contract by or on behalf of the MB Government”.

Diamond last added meetings with a Government official, the special assistant to the Minister of Health, in January of 2023 to the Lobbyist Registry. Records show he lobbied the Premier and her Chief of Staff in 2022 as well as other Government Ministers.

Bayshore Health has a contract with the department of health currently worth over $3 million dollars (last updated in December 2022).

Bayshore previously held a contract with the department of Health worth over $4 million dollars dated April 2022.