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The alternative for Wall was to hide behind laughable talking points, hide whatever information he could, and watch the facts emerge through less formal channels. On that front, there was never any realistic prospect that the media and the opposition would stop asking questions; nobody could have been under any illusion that a government’s implausible efforts to deflect from the story would stop it from being investigated.

Yet Wall’s decision from day one was to pretend that we already knew everything we could possibly want to know about the GTH dealings — even as the provincial auditor made clear that line was false. And his reasons for making that choice remain as murky as the government’s excuses for the GTH ripoff.

Moreover, responsibility for the Saskatchewan Party’s excessive secrecy is no longer limited to Wall and his inner circle.

If Wall had opened up earlier on, there wouldn’t have been a need for others to assist in suppressing the facts. But due to Wall’s secrecy, Saskatchewan Party MLAs have been enlisted to keep key witnesses locked away from any questioning. And in the process, they’ve made themselves an integral part of the coverup — even if it’s less than clear what they’re protecting.

So what could possibly explain Wall’s choice to leave a festering scandal to be uncovered bit by bit over a full term of office, while also dragging people who presumably weren’t involved in the initial decisions into the muck?