Sask. reports over $200,000 worth of ministerial travel in past 6 months, defends need for trade missions
Premier Scott Moe and his team of officials had the largest travel bill for the most recent six month reporting period – earning scorn from the Official Opposition.
Included in the expenses were highly publicized trade missions to Dubai and India. Those two were the most expensive at just over $37,000 for India and $32,000 for Dubai.
The NDP question the necessity and the cost.
“This is a government that is playing pretty fast and loose when it comes to taxpayer dollars,” Aleana Young NDP MLA.
Dubai trip expenses do not include the cost of the trade show, display space and advertising.
“We have a premier who is aggressively unapologetic in having spent a million dollars for the single most expensive trip in the history of the province,” Young added.
Other ministers with travel expenses exceeding $10,000 include Jeremy Harrison, Jim Reiter, Dustin Duncan and Lori Carr.
The totals include travel costs for officials who accompanied them.
“We see people who can’t afford the basics, whether it’s groceries, whether it’s putting gas in their tank and you know meanwhile we see a government that is unapologetically and lacking in transparency spending taxpayer dollars kind of willy-nilly.”
In total, the Premier and eight cabinet ministers made 17 out of province trips at a combined cost of just over $219,000.
The government did not have a cabinet minister available to address the expenses.
However, Executive Council did offer a response Tuesday evening – outlining the vital importance of maintaining trading relationships in a province that exports "70 per cent of everything it produces."
“In Saskatchewan one in three jobs is tied to exports. In 2023, Saskatchewan exported over $49 billion worth of goods to 163 countries,” the statement read. “This is the second-highest year for total exports in provincial history.”
In the explanation, the province pointed to its network of trade offices located in Mexico, the UK, Germany, the UAE, India, Singapore, Vietnam, Japan, and China. It also referred to its appearance at COP28.
“The United Arab Emirates is also an incredibly important emerging market for Saskatchewan, we are the only Canadian province with a trade office in Dubai,” the statement read.
“Saskatchewan is Canada's largest agri-food exporter to the UAE. In 2023, exports to the Middle East and North Africa, supported by Saskatchewan’s Dubai office, were worth more than $1 billion dollars.”
Ending off, the province highlighted its trade relationship to India, saying that 25 per cent of Canadian trade to the subcontinent originates from Saskatchewan.
“It’s a relationship worth more than a billion dollars annually and is growing rapidly,” the statement read. “In India, Saskatchewan exports help ensure food security for more than 1.4 billion people.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
PWHL Minnesota defeats Boston to win inaugural Walter Cup
Minnesota won the inaugural championship of the Professional Women’s Hockey League on Wednesday night, getting 17 saves from Nicole Hensley to beat Boston 3-0 in a winner-take-all Game 5 and claim the Walter Cup.
Canadians are eyeing moves to these cities for more affordable housing
Faced with elevated housing prices, half of Canadians in the country's largest cities are considering moving to places with more affordable housing.
B.C. mortgage broker ran $270-million Ponzi scheme, then fled Canada, bankruptcy trustee says
The trustee appointed to manage the bankruptcies of a Victoria mortgage company and its owner has concluded that they committed "numerous offences" and operated as a "massive Ponzi scheme."
Oilers rally to beat Stars, tie Western Conference Final
With the Edmonton Oilers down two goals late in the first period of Game 4, Rogers Place was quiet, fans seemingly bewildered at the early, quick scoring of the Dallas Stars and the slow start by the home team. Ryan McLeod's marker with six-and-a-half minutes in the opening frame left changed all that.
McDonald's says $18 Big Mac meal was an 'exception' and their prices haven't risen that much
McDonald’s is fighting back against viral tweets and media reports that it says have exaggerated its price increases.
'Targeted again': Montreal police investigate after gunshot fired at Jewish school
Police are investigating another building in Montreal's community was struck by gunfire.
Tessa Virtue reveals she's expecting her first child. Here's what Canadians had to say
Canadian figure-skating icon Tessa Virtue is expecting her first child, she revealed via social media Tuesday.
Poilievre says Canadians 'fleeing' to Nicaragua, Liberals say it shows he 'doesn't have a clue'
Liberal parliamentarians are criticizing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre over a new video in which he promotes the idea that some Canadians are 'fleeing' Canada to live in Nicaragua because they can't afford a house in this country.
'Do not drive': Nissan warns Canadian drivers of explosion risk impacting 48,000 vehicles
Car manufacturer Nissan has issued a do-not-drive warning for some older vehicles equipped with Takata airbag inflators, due to the risk of explosion during a crash.