REGINA — A Saskatchewan Party backbencher says he paid close to $30,000 out of his own pocket for two trips on a private jet and that one of those flights was for government business. Kevin Weedmark released a letter Tuesday from Maurice Herauf, the province's conflict of interest commissioner, who provided his opinion on the airfare expenses. Herauf wrote in the Sept. 18 letter that Weedmark's invoices indicate he paid for the flights with his own money and therefore did not violate a section of Conflict of Interest Act. "Since you paid for the flights from your personal funds there is absolutely no financial benefit that can be attributed to your decision to fly to functions on either date," Herauf wrote. The letter says Weedmark had asked Herauf to provide an opinion on his flights after the Opposition NDP had flagged it as a concern. The trips took place over the course of a year. On Aug. 21, 2025, Weedmark spent $8,271 on a private jet to fly the owners of the Moosomin Dairy Queen and two of their family members to the Jim Pattison Children's Hospital in Saskatoon for a tour. The Dairy Queen had raised $42,000 for the hospital and Weedmark was one of their volunteers. Herauf wrote the trip was private in nature. On Aug. 27 of this year, Weedmark spent $20,106 on another jet for two government functions in the province before making a stop in Regina and then flying back to Moosomin. One of the functions was an official opening of an addictions treatment facility in Lloydminster on the Alberta boundary, and the other was to celebrate the anniversary of a seniors complex in Saskatoon. The letter says the health minister's office had requested Weedmark attend both events, as Weedmark is also the minister's legislative secretary. Weedmark has also said it would have been difficult for him to drive to Lloydminster in time, so he chose to fly. However, the Opposition NDP says Weedmark still needs to show the receipts to prove he didn't improperly benefit from his role as a legislature member. Earlier Tuesday, the NDP sent a letter to Herauf asking for an opinion on whether Weedmark breached conflict of interest rules. Meara Conway, the NDP's health critic, said she wants to know if Weedmark had paid commercial value for the flights. She said the NDP got a private jet quote for a similar aircraft. That quote came in above $20,000. "If the flight was below commercial value, it was a prohibited gift or personal benefit under (the act)," she said. "The rules exist to make sure that decisions are being made in the public interest." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 13, 2026. Jeremy Simes, The Canadian Press
