Premier Wab Kinew says his out of province travel expenses, which haven’t been published since the NDP government was elected, will be made public shortly.
Questioned about it at an unrelated press conference, and just one day after the Free Press asked why the numbers haven’t been released in almost a year, Kinew said “probably later today.”
Kinew said he wasn’t concerned that the expenses hadn’t been put up yet.
MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS FILES
Premier Wab Kinew says his travel expenses will be made public shortly, “probably later today.”
“I told people to post them and now they will be posted,” he said Tuesday.
It’s not known whether the online postings will include the travel expenses of former premier Heather Stefanson, whose records were also not published for the last two quarters she was in office.
As well, there have also been no expense reports released on travel by cabinet ministers since March 31, 2023.
On Monday, both NDP Finance Minister Adrien Sala and interim Tory leader Wayne Ewasko criticized each other for not posting the out-of-province travel expenses.
Sala said the Tories had “failed to follow the department reporting functions required by law.”
For his part, Ewasko said the NDP is making excuses and stalling.
“Because they don’t want Manitobans to know how much Wab Kinew and his cabinet have spent on travel, meals and hotels for themselves and their staff in less than a year,” he said.
The Canadian Taxpayers Federation’s Gage Haubrich criticized the non-disclosures, saying the government has to be more transparent because, “at the end of the day, taxpayers are paying for the premier’s out-of-province travel expenses and taxpayers should know where the money is spent.”
kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca
Kevin Rollason
Reporter
Kevin Rollason is a general assignment reporter at the Free Press. He graduated from Western University with a Masters of Journalism in 1985 and worked at the Winnipeg Sun until 1988, when he joined the Free Press. He has served as the Free Press’s city hall and law courts reporter and has won several awards, including a National Newspaper Award. Read more about Kevin.
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