The Government of Saskatchewan today tabled over 1,000 documents, minutes and memoranda with the Legislature's Crown Corporations Committee, to assist committee members in their review of the acquisition, management and sale of Channel Lake Petroleum Ltd. by SaskPower.

Copies of the material will be available to witnesses, counsel, members of the media and members of the public at the Office of the Clerk of the Legislature.

"I gave a detailed report on these events to the Legislature on Tuesday, March 10, 1998," Deputy Premier and Crown Investments Corporation Minister Dwain Lingenfelter said. "I also said that the Government believes that a Legislative Committee should review my report to ensure all the facts are out and to ensure all appropriate steps are being taken in response.

"We're pleased the Crown Corporations Committee is now at work on the review. We're committed to assisting the committee and that includes providing it with the documentation the committee believes it needs to do its work."

Legal documents will be provided in response to a subpoena issued by the committee today.

"Legal documents are being released through the subpoena process because of a number of legal, technical issues," Lingenfelter said. "It's very unusual for a government to make legal opinions public. We are releasing this material, at the request of the majority of the committee and the opposition members, in order to assist the Legislature and its committee in their work."

Deputy Premier and Crown Investments Corporation Minister
Dwain Lingenfelter
Contact: Anna Arneson
Media Services
Regina
Phone: 787-0850

Ted Boyle
Crown Investments Corporation
Regina
Phone: (306) 787-9039

Don McKillop, Q.C.
Justice, Civil Law Division
Regina
Contact: Anna Arneson
Phone: (306) 787-0850