Loading

John Jamieson Photo

A couple of days ago I published an article explaining how Cheryl Paynter falsified documents and defrauded a grant fund to pay McInnis Cooper law firm an outstanding e-gaming bill – her penalty? None. She remained CEO of Innovation PEI until 2016, then became CEO of Tourism PEI where she remains to this day.

When Wade MacLauchlan became premier. he appointed John Jamieson as his Deputy Minister of Agriculture – on May 22, 2015.

Vision PEI co-founder David Weale was interviewed by the Guardian a few days later and explained how MacLauchlan had made a very bad decision with his choice of Deputy Minister of Agriculture who Weale dubbed the “Poster Boy for Industrial Agriculture.”

Jamieson – who was the Executive Director of the PEI Federation of Agriculture before Wade made him Deputy Minister of Agriculture – had publicly defended corporate agriculture and farm pesticide use. As Weale stated in the Guardian news story:

“Gird your loins friends…rough times ahead,” he writes. “Our [Vision PEI’s] vision for the future does not include agricultural practices that poison earth, air and water. It also does not include the shaping of Island agricultural policy to accommodate the agenda of large multinational corporations like the Irving’s. Resistance is necessary.”

The Guardian noted Jamieson’s prior position as E.D. of the Federation of agriculture, but didn’t mention any of his work history prior to that.  His government website “bio” did provide some additional information, however, including the following:

Mr. Jamieson, a Professional Agrologist and Certified Nutrient Management Planner, has worked in the agriculture industry for a number of years and has a wide variety of experience. Mr. Jamieson worked with the PEI Hog Marketing Board as a food safety consultant and with the Atlantic Swine Research Partnership as a communications officer. Mr. Jamieson has worked with the Fishermen’s Association and has maintained a close interest in the fishery.

Mr. Jamieson did indeed work for the Fishermen’s Association back in the 90s, but that career came to an abrupt end when he got caught fudging the books and was forced to plead guilty to the crime of “forgery”.

Jamieson was forced to pay $5,000 restitution, and was placed on three years probation.  Funny that information wasn’t mentioned in his government bio.

Jamieson