Harpauer spent $8K on chartered flight to North Battleford: Report

Two days after the Saskatchewan government introduced a budget containing tax and fee hikes, Finance Minister Donna Harpauer took a private plane from Regina to North Battleford to attend a Chamber of Commerce luncheon.

That’s not sitting well with NDP Leader Carla Beck.

“Perhaps this lavish spending and this being out of touch is the reason this finance minister hasn’t balanced a budget since she has been the finance minister,” Beck said during a media conference Monday.

“It’s also perhaps the reason why you see a government that is so obviously out of touch with the realities of people in this province.”

The Canadian Press says Harpauer’s recent expenses show she flew on a chartered plane March 25 from Regina to North Battleford at a cost of nearly $8,000.

Harpauer flew the 400 kilometres to North Battleford to attend a luncheon hosted by the local chamber of commerce.

In the 2022-23 budget, the Saskatchewan Party government announced a tax hike on properties and smokers and a six per cent provincial sales tax on entertainment, gyms, concerts, museums and sporting events.

Beck said the optics of the flight — when people in the province are being forced to tighten their belts due to high inflation — showed the government feels “entitled.”

As well, she noted the Saskatchewan Party hasn’t offered any affordability measures to residents such as reducing the gas tax, and utilities like SaskPower and SaskEnergy have hiked rates.

“I think this (flight) really has struck people as being incredibly lavish and out of touch with the realities that people in this province are facing today,” Beck said.

Harpauer wasn’t available for an interview, but the government did issue a statement saying it “makes every effort to ensure responsible use of tax dollars when it comes to travel.”

“The flight to North Battleford was part of the Finance Minister’s in-person 2022-23 Budget presentations,” the statement said. “After limiting travel for the last two years due to the pandemic, the Minister of Finance visited multiple regions of the province.

“Community engagement following the introduction of the budget has been an annual practice for many years. It is a vital way to connect with local chambers and residents to give them more detailed information regarding the provincial budget and to receive feedback.”

The government noted that cabinet ministers usually drive around the province, but charter flights occasionally are used “for longer distances and when long drive times would impact other commitments.”

The statement added that total travel expenses for all cabinet members have averaged around $200,000 to $400,000 annually since the government shut down its Executive Air service in 2017. According to the statement, the government paid $4.1 million for Executive Air travel in 2006-07 alone.

In a media release, the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour called the flight “an insult to workers who are struggling to make ends meet.”

“It’s unbelievable that at a time when workers are finding themselves unable to put food on the table, or to fill their cars with gas just to be able to get to work, the Sask. Party has no issue booking private jets and sending Saskatchewan people the bill,” SFL president Lori Johb said in the release.

“The Finance Minister should pay back the cost of the flight and apologize to working people for being so arrogant and out of touch with reality.”

When asked if she thought Harpauer should repay the cost of the flight, Beck said that was up to Harpauer.

“What I would like the minister to note is how this strikes people in this province,” Beck said, “and I guess according to her own conscience whether she sees fit if this is an expense that she thinks the people of Saskatchewan should pay or does she understand now that perhaps she should have got in the car, filled up the tank of gas and made this meeting?”

— With files from The Canadian Press and 980 CJME’s Gillian Massie