Saskatchewan’s Opposition is calling on the province’s conflict of interest commissioner to investigate a Sask Party member’s expenses, including his private flights that it alleges were improperly paid for.
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it → call → flights
The NDP call comes after Saskatchewan Party MLA for Moosomin-Montmare, Kevin Weedmark, took private intra-provincial flights and allegedly accepted gifts from his publication that are contrary to provincial regulations for elected officials.
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that → come → officials
The MLA for Regina Elphinstone-Centre, Meara Conway, submitted a 23-page letter containing the party’s concerns and evidence to conflict-of-interest commissioner Maurice Herauf on Tuesday.
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MLA → submit → Tuesday
“It’s very clear that Mr. Weedmark has a pattern of utilizing his newspaper to sort of subsidize other activities,” Conway told reporters in Regina at the legislative assembly.
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Conway → ’ → assembly
“The public deserves to know that there is a clear separation between our public roles and our private roles. That we are not using our public roles to derive a private benefit, and we are not using our private companies to prop up our roles as MLAs.”
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we → deserve → MLAs
Weedmark owns The World Spectator, a newspaper in his riding.
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Weedmark → own → riding
Conway alleged a member of that newspaper’s staff consistently appears with the MLA when he is performing the duties of an elected official, giving them special access that other media was not provided.
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media → allege → that
The staffer was said to be seen snapping photographs of Weedmark at numerous events.
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staffer → say → events
Those photos were shared on his official social media, and in some cases, were later published in the paper.
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photos → share → paper
Others never appeared in the paper, despite Weedmark sharing them online, she continued.
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she → appear → them
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MLAs obtaining free or discounted gifts, such as photography services, for their personal gain is prohibited.
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MLAs → get → gain
“This just goes to show that she (the reporter) is subsidizing his MLA work,” Conway said, adding that unlike other legislators who may grab a picture used by the media on occasion, Weedmark has consistently done so.
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Weedmark → go → occasion
“That role of MLA and newspaper owner are totally intertwined.
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role → intertwine → MLA
It’s impossible to know where one stops and the other begins.”
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other → ’ → ?
At the time of publication, Global News did not receive a response to its inquiry to Weedmark about the newspaper reporter’s role.
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News → receive → role
The Regina-area MLA also raised concerns about Weedmark’s publication allowing other SaskParty members to politically advertise in it.
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members → raise → it
Weedmark’s office responded to those concerns in an emailed statement.
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office → respond → statement
It included a letter from the provincial Speaker that offered him a conditional exemption and allowed Weedmark to run certain political advertising so long as he is not reimbursed.
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he → include → advertising
“The Speaker’s office, who advised me (advertising other MLAs in the readership area) would be allowable under certain conditions, which I have followed,” the email statement said, noting he was referred to the Speaker by Herauf’s office.
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he → advise → office
The MLA was exempt because his paper is one of the few that operates in the Moosomin region.
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that → operate → region
The Opposition said any exemptions should be revisited by officials following receipt of Conway’s letter.
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exemptions → say → letter
Another issue highlighted by the NDP were the charter trips that Weedmark was accompanied by the reporter on, which were described as a “work travel vlog” in the reporter’s social media posts.
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which → highlight → posts
Those flights included last August’s private charter.
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flights → include → charter
When questioned about those incidents by the NDP previously, Conway said Weedmark would not answer whether or not the newspaper staffer’s expenses were also covered.
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expenses → question → NDP
In what capacity did he charter these flights, because if he is paying for them, at all, through his newspaper, that again is a prohibited gift,” she said.
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she → charter → newspaper
In a statement shared last month, the provincial legislative member claimed that the trips were charted from a local company at his own expense, clarifying that “there were no taxpayer dollars involved.”
His Oct. 13 response to the Opposition’s claims added that he requested the conflict-of-interest commissioner’s opinion on the private flights before taking off.
“Following the NDP’s allegations regarding two-chartered flights that I paid for personally, I requested an opinion from the Conflict-of-Interest Commissioner regarding those flights.
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I → share → flights
The Commissioner concluded there was no conflict of interest in this matter,” Weedmark’s email statement for Global News read.
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statement → conclude → News
After receiving Conway’s letter, the independent conflict of interest office will determine whether it will consider the case based on the strength of the evidence provided.
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it → receive → evidence
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