NDP Ethics and Democracy Critic Meara Conway questioned the Moe’s Sask Party government for an explanation following concerns the Sunrise Motel, owned by Sask Party MLA Gary Grewal, significantly raised the prices for motel stays for ministry of social services recipients. “This leaves a lot of questions,” said Conway. “How is this a good way of spending public dollars? And why is a business owned by a government MLA allowed to profit off of increasing rates by 51%? The people of Saskatchewan deserve answers.”“At minimum, this raises real concerns around ethics and transparency within this Sask Party government. At worst, we’re looking at Sask Party MLAs using their influence within government to benefit their private businesses. The people of Saskatchewan deserve answers,” said Conway.On October 27, Evelyn Harper, a senior, was forced to leave her government housing unit. Without any alternative, she had to book a room at the Sunrise Motel at a cost of $132.09 per night..On October 29, Harper's situation was brought to the Minister of Social Services Gene Makowsky's attention. Makowsky pledged to cover Harper's motel expenses.Once the ministry of social services began covering the expenses for her room, the cost rose significantly.Requisition forms from the ministry of social services, which were leaked, indicate that between October 29 and November 1, the rate for Ms. Harper's room surged to $168.55 per night..The cost then rose again and for the following two nights taxpayers were charged $200 per night, which represented a 51.4% increase from the original price..Harper continued to stay at the Sunrise Motel until she secured alternative housing on November 10. According to a ministry requisition receipt, provincial taxpayers were billed $200 per night for her last night there..While the cost of a room at the Sunrise Motel can fluctuate, the typical price when booked online falls within the range of $71 to $80 per night, on average.When asked over the phone, the front desk quoted $89 to $99 per night, depending on whether the room has one or two beds.When someone in the Saskatchewan government verbally told the Western Standard in July 2022 about the Saskatchewan government significantly overpaying for some hotels, the Western Standard went to the Sunrise Motel to book a room and was quoted $69 per night for one bed. The source did not provide any documents to back up their claim at that time.During her stay at the Sunrise Motel, Harper did not switch rooms or receive any special treatment or services from the motel staff.An ISC land title verifies the Sunrise Motel is owned by Grewal Hospitality Inc., a company owned by Sask Party MLA Gary Grewal, as indicated in Grewal Hospitality's corporate entity report.Grewal's publicly available MLA disclosure forms show that Grewal Hospitality Inc. is listed as a source of income and an asset.
NDP Ethics and Democracy Critic Meara Conway questioned the Moe’s Sask Party government for an explanation following concerns the Sunrise Motel, owned by Sask Party MLA Gary Grewal, significantly raised the prices for motel stays for ministry of social services recipients. “This leaves a lot of questions,” said Conway. “How is this a good way of spending public dollars? And why is a business owned by a government MLA allowed to profit off of increasing rates by 51%? The people of Saskatchewan deserve answers.”“At minimum, this raises real concerns around ethics and transparency within this Sask Party government. At worst, we’re looking at Sask Party MLAs using their influence within government to benefit their private businesses. The people of Saskatchewan deserve answers,” said Conway.On October 27, Evelyn Harper, a senior, was forced to leave her government housing unit. Without any alternative, she had to book a room at the Sunrise Motel at a cost of $132.09 per night..On October 29, Harper's situation was brought to the Minister of Social Services Gene Makowsky's attention. Makowsky pledged to cover Harper's motel expenses.Once the ministry of social services began covering the expenses for her room, the cost rose significantly.Requisition forms from the ministry of social services, which were leaked, indicate that between October 29 and November 1, the rate for Ms. Harper's room surged to $168.55 per night..The cost then rose again and for the following two nights taxpayers were charged $200 per night, which represented a 51.4% increase from the original price..Harper continued to stay at the Sunrise Motel until she secured alternative housing on November 10. According to a ministry requisition receipt, provincial taxpayers were billed $200 per night for her last night there..While the cost of a room at the Sunrise Motel can fluctuate, the typical price when booked online falls within the range of $71 to $80 per night, on average.When asked over the phone, the front desk quoted $89 to $99 per night, depending on whether the room has one or two beds.When someone in the Saskatchewan government verbally told the Western Standard in July 2022 about the Saskatchewan government significantly overpaying for some hotels, the Western Standard went to the Sunrise Motel to book a room and was quoted $69 per night for one bed. The source did not provide any documents to back up their claim at that time.During her stay at the Sunrise Motel, Harper did not switch rooms or receive any special treatment or services from the motel staff.An ISC land title verifies the Sunrise Motel is owned by Grewal Hospitality Inc., a company owned by Sask Party MLA Gary Grewal, as indicated in Grewal Hospitality's corporate entity report.Grewal's publicly available MLA disclosure forms show that Grewal Hospitality Inc. is listed as a source of income and an asset.
