Sask. finance minister offers no apology for $8K chartered flight, says overall travel expenses are low

On Tuesday, Saskatchewan's finance minister defended the nearly $8,000 round-trip chartered flight she took from Regina to North Battleford in March.

On March 25, Donna Harpauer took a private plane run by Good Spirit Air Service to present the latest budget at a chamber commerce luncheon in North Battleford.

When she presented the budget at the Legislature two days earlier, Harpauer announced that the government would raise taxes. She said there would be a tax hike on properties and smokers, and a six per cent provincial sales tax on entertainment, gyms, concerts, museums and sporting events.   

When news of her $7,872.60 chartered flight surfaced on Monday, it sparked outrage among Saskatchewan residents, the Sask. NDP, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation and the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour. 

Multiple organizations called on Harpauer to apologize on Monday. On Tuesday, she said she would not. 

Harpauer admitted that the flight price was high when speaking with media at the Legislature Tuesday. 

"I didn't know the price tag at the time, but I had asked for a flight for what I feel is important for my job as finance minister following a budget," she said. "I think that other communities outside of Regina and Saskatoon need an opportunity to ask the minister how the budget impacts those communities."

She said she had nothing to do with booking the flight or vetting the price tag. The Ministry of SaskBuilds and Procurement handles chartered flight bookings.

When asked if she would take the flight again, now that she knows how much it cost, Harpauer said she would. 

Asked why she chose to fly rather than drive the 400 kilometres to North Battleford, Harpauer said she was exhausted at the time.

"What I will do for the people of Saskatchewan, I will work very long hours. And I recognize that I will live away from home for the better part as a cabinet minister. What I will not do is drive when I'm exhausted."

On Monday, the province told CBC News that driving is the primary mode of in-province travel for cabinet ministers.

However, the government said, charter flights are used periodically, particularly for longer distances and when long drive times would impact other commitments. 

When asked if she had another commitment around the time of her flight to North Battleford, Harpauer said she did not. However, she said she needed to get back to her constituency in Humboldt. But she returned to Regina on March 25, rather than flying to Humboldt.