Title for thriftiest MLA goes to Speaker again
Northern members top spending list due to travel costs in sprawling ridings
The Speaker of the Saskatchewan legislature, who has long been the province’s thriftiest MLA, once again spent far less on travel, telephone bills and constituency expenses than any of his colleagues.
Public records show Mark Docherty, the Saskatchewan Party representative for Regina Coronation Park, spent $81,310 in the 2018-19 fiscal year, two-thirds of which paid for his constituency assistant.
In the 2017-18 fiscal year, by comparison, Docherty — who was elected speaker just before the end of that year — spent $67,835. In the 2016-17 fiscal year he reported expenses of $75,845.
Last year, Gene Makowsky, the Sask. Party MLA for Regina Gardiner Park, was the only other elected representative in office for the entire year whose constituency expenses came in under $100,000.
Buckley Belanger and Doyle Vermette, the NDP MLAS representing the province’s two vast northern ridings, where travel is difficult and expensive, once again spent the most. Their expenses reached $227,915.35 and $204,435, respectively.
Belanger and Vermette are also located farther than any other MLAS from the legislature, necessitating larger travel budgets.
The average MLA expense for the fiscal year ended March 31 was $145,529 — up sharply from the $124,521 recorded in the 2018-19 fiscal year. Overall, taxpayers were on the hook for $8.9 million in politicians’ expenses last year.
In the 2017-18 fiscal year, MLA expenses totalled $8.1 million, up from $7.5 million the year before. In some cases those figures capture comparatively low expenses claimed by MLAS who did not spend the whole year in office.
Saskatchewan MLAS are entitled to spend up to $61,272 running their constituency office each year.
They can also claim expenses for telecommunications, travel and the services of their constituency assistant or assistants.
Constituency expenses are accounted for separately from travel expenses incurred by cabinet ministers in the course of their jobs, allowances paid to ministers and for other roles, and the transition allowance paid to MLAS leaving office.
With a travel bill of just $250.45, Docherty also spent the least on travel, while Belanger spent the most: $83,067.29.
Saskatchewan NDP Leader Ryan Meili’s new disclosure form includes claims of $1,095 for French lessons, $262.08 for books, $75 for a wreath, and a bi-weekly office cleaning bill of $132.50.
While most of his constituency office expenses went toward advertising, Premier Scott Moe was reimbursed for $789.55 worth of flowers, a $144.25 coffee pot and a shredder valued at $332.99.
The records also show that Moe’s Shellbrook office required the services of a plumber, whose bill totalled $323.83.