In response to widespread criticism about the cost of March charter plane from regina north battleford And back, Saskatchewan Finance Minister harpour woman Admitted the price was “high” but says she was “tired” that day and the flight was worth the cost.
The March 25 flight, in which public records show a cost of $7,872.60, took off just days after Harpoire announced the budget including increased taxes, and has since been detailed in a report from the Canadian Press Monday. has come under intense scrutiny.
As soon as the questions began for about 30 minutes, Harpoire said, “What would I do, for the people of Saskatchewan, I would work very long hours and I admit that I have been away from home for the better part as a cabinet minister. I will be.” “What I won’t do when I’m tired is drive.”
Harpoer, who said the flight was arranged so that he could attend a Chamber of Commerce luncheon to which he had been invited, told reporters that he planned to visit his home constituency of Humboldt-Watras that day. There was a plan too.
“I believe I asked to book a flight because of the logistics of the timing of this particular engagement,” Harpoire said.
“It has a high price tag. But that was something I opted for. I didn’t know the price at the time, but for what I felt was important to my job as finance minister after a budget I asked for a flight.”
When asked why he didn’t arrange for a taxi or a driver, Harpoer said, “It’s still going to be a long day because I’ll have to get a driver to drive up to Humboldt, and stay the weekend and come back.” “
“You have to remember that budget week is my busiest week,” Harpour said.
“It has been a long-standing tradition. There has been a budget tour after the budget, and communities have had the opportunity to gather and personally ask the minister what is in the budget and how it affects them. And I don’t think they should be punished if they are away from Regina.”
Groups such as the Saskatchewan NDP, the Saskatchewan Liberal Party, the Saskatchewan Federation of Labor, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) and the Fitness Industry Council of Canada have expressed concern over the cost of the trip, which takes about four hours by road.
“This is a flight that could easily have been replaced by a car ride,” opposition NDP leader Carla Beck said on Monday.
“We see people changing their summer plans … because they can’t afford gas, and we see a minister spend so much with a flight that one can do in four months. Is.”
“It doesn’t make sense to spend $8,000 to get from Regina to North Battleford. A lot of us have done that drive, it’s not that far,” said CTF communications vice president Todd McKay.
“If you’re leaving early, you can stop at Timmys, still be there before lunch and be home in time for your kids’ ball game,” he said.
Global News looked at alternative – and much more cost-effective – modes of transportation to get from Regina to North Battleford.
Driving with the fuel, which cost about $1.37 in March, would have come down to about $110. The Regina Cab will cost around $1,400. Even a limo would cost less, with a one-person ride in a Mercedes costing around $900 in total.
“Taxpayers shouldn’t be on the hook for something that’s either extravagant spending or poor planning; in no way should taxpayers pay for it,” McKay said.
An NDP spokesperson told Global News that Beck would not comment further on Harpour’s comments on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Harpoire said he thinks it’s “disappointing” people are “fixing” on the cost of the North Battleford trip alone.
“Total travel is very less for me. I’m not a frequent flier,” she said, adding that while the cost was expensive, she “had nothing to do with booking the flight.”
Government records indicate that travel expenses in the province of Harpoor were $11,860.39 in the 2021–22 fiscal year.
Harpour was also asked how far the destination should be for a charter flight.
Records show a charter flight on June 4, 2019, taken by Premier Scott Moe from Saskatoon to Regina, for example, cost $3,427.29.
“It depends on the schedule and why,” she said, “we’ll continue to do budget tours, and we’ll be available and answering those questions in communities outside Regina.”
On March 2, 2020, the government of Saskatchewan announced that at the beginning of the 2020-21 fiscal year, a quarterly report of ministerial travel and expenditure in the province will be published,
– with files Global News’ Taz Dhaliwal and Mickey Zurich of the Canadian Press
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