REGINA — The Saskatchewan government spent $17,401 chartering two private planes to fly cabinet ministers and MLAs between Regina and Saskatoon for a municipal convention last year, according to documents obtained through freedom-of-information requests by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF).The CTF said the April 2025 flights carried Premier Scott Moe, his chief of staff, 12 cabinet ministers, and three government backbenchers to the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA) convention in Saskatoon.According to the CTF, the flights worked out to about $967 per passenger for the round trip."Thousands of Saskatchewanians make the trip between Regina and Saskatoon every day without relying on private aircraft," CTF Prairie Director Gage Haubrich said in a statement.Haubrich argued the government should have driven instead, noting the roughly 260-kilometre trip along Highway 11 typically takes about two and a half hours. He said renting three minivans, filling them with fuel, and buying refreshments for the travellers would have cost about $800.."The provincial government needs to find savings, and driving a couple of hours instead of sticking taxpayers with the bill for two private planes is a no-brainer," Haubrich said.According to the documents, Moe, his chief of staff, and seven cabinet ministers travelled on one aircraft, while five additional cabinet ministers and three government MLAs travelled on a second.The CTF linked the travel spending to the province's broader fiscal picture, noting the Saskatchewan government projects provincial debt will reach $26.8 billion by the end of the current fiscal year, with debt interest payments expected to total about $1 billion.The charter company describes itself as a provider of aircraft charter services.The Saskatchewan government had not responded to the CTF's criticism.
