Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe is facing criticism from the provincial NDP after attending the funeral of late U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham in Washington, D.C., with the Opposition demanding to know whether taxpayer dollars were used to fund the trip.
In a letter sent Tuesday, NDP Trade and Export Development critic Kim Breckner called on the premier to confirm whether public funds paid for the visit and, if so, to immediately disclose the total cost along with a detailed breakdown of expenses.
Breckner said Saskatchewan residents deserve transparency about how public money is being spent. She also questioned whether attending the funeral was an appropriate use of taxpayer funds, citing Graham’s support for U.S. President Donald Trump and his previous remarks suggesting Canada should become the 51st U.S. state.
The provincial government announced Tuesday that Moe attended the funeral at the invitation of Graham’s family. In a statement, the government said the premier joined federal officials and international leaders, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in paying tribute to the longtime U.S. senator.
The province described Graham as a longstanding friend of Saskatchewan, noting that he had held several discussions with Moe on Canada–U.S. trade and energy security over the years.
Breckner argued that if Moe and Graham shared a personal relationship, the premier should have covered the travel costs privately rather than using public funds. She also questioned the timing of the trip, pointing to ongoing challenges in Saskatchewan, including the possibility of roughly 14,000 frontline health-care workers taking strike action after years without a new contract.
As of now, the Saskatchewan government has not publicly released the cost of the trip or responded to the Opposition’s request for a detailed expense breakdown.
