Released on April 7, 2014
Premier Brad Wall today directed that the government implement a system for publicly reporting all expenses for out-of-province travel for ministers and any government staff who accompany them.Wall said the travel expense reports will be posted semi-annually starting in the new fiscal year that just began on April 1, so the first reports for the period April to September 2014 will be posted in October.
As an interim measure, the government today released a spreadsheet of all ministers' travel costs to date for the 2013-14 fiscal year. The government will release an updated spreadsheet once all the travel expenses are in for 2013-14.
Wall said the current reporting system is exactly the same as it was under the previous government but does not automatically pull together the expenses of the minister and other staff who accompanied the minister.
“This is the way ministerial travel cost has been reported for many years, dating back to the previous government,” Wall said. “We will improve this system by reporting the travel expenses of the minister and any staff who accompanied the minister. The new reporting system will also include a list of the meetings the minister attended on behalf of the province.”
Wall said travel is an important part of a minister’s job.
“It’s how we increase exports and build our economy,” Wall said. “It’s how we learn about best practices in other provinces and other countries.
“Saskatchewan has a great story to tell and we need to be telling Saskatchewan’s story to the world. At the same time, the public has a right to know the cost and purpose of the trip and that their tax dollars are being spent efficiently. This new reporting system will ensure that happens to a greater extent than has ever been the case in Saskatchewan.”
-30-
For more information, contact:
Karen Hill
Executive Council
Regina
Phone: 306-787-2127
Email: karen.hill@gov.sk.ca
Cell: 306-529-9207