Saskatchewan government releases in-province travel expense report for premier

The Saskatchewan government released an expense report showing that taxpayers spent just shy of $8,000 on chartered flights within the province for Premier Scott Moe over a 10-month period.

It was announced on Monday that beginning in the fiscal year of 2020-21, quarterly reports of in-province ministerial travel and expenses will be publicly disclosed.

“Our government values the hard-earned tax dollars of Saskatchewan people,” Moe said in a press release.

“While we have previously taken steps to decrease travel costs and increase transparency, we feel it is necessary to continue these efforts to ensure the public knows how tax dollars are being spent by government ministers as they travel across the province.”

The reports also include information on meals expensed by a minister, accommodation and ground travel.

Moe’s in-province travel and expenses totalled $27,873.47 from April 1, 2019, to the end of January 2020, according to a report.

The premier’s in-province charter flight expenses for the period were as follows:

• from Prince Albert to Regina via Good Spirit Air Service on May 27, 2019, for $3,987.96;
• from Saskatoon to Regina via Kreos Aviation Inc. on June 4, 2019, for $3,427.29; and
• from Regina to Saskatoon via Miccar Aerial from Nov. 13-14, 2019, for $554.95.

“Better late than never,” Saskatchewan NDP Leader Ryan Meili said on Monday.

“We haven’t seen exactly the details but it sounds like a big step forward to transparency and obviously we’ll review what they put in place.”

The current bi-annual public disclosure of out-of-province ministerial travel and expenses will now also be posted on a quarterly basis, government officials said.

The increased transparency measures accompany a number of steps the government has taken to reduce ministerial travel expenses, according to a press release.

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