REGINA, Sask. — Opposition New Democrats are asking further questions of the Speaker about exemptions allowing MLAs to claim advertising expenses in a newspaper owned by Moosomin-Montmartre MLA Kevin Weedmark.
At a news conference at the legislature Wednesday, NDP Health critic Meara Conway said she had written a letter to Speaker Todd Goudy about more than $36,000 in advertising by six Sask. Party MLAs in the Moosomin World-Spectator, owned by Weedmark, during the 2024-25 and 2025-26 fiscal years.
In particular, Conway was seeking clarification on recent rulings from the Speaker granting exemptions to Weedmark to allow the advertising in the World-Spectator. The NDP pointed to sections 14 and 15 of Board of Internal Economy Directive 4.1, which prohibit claims for advertising in publications produced by individuals or entities directly affiliated with registered political parties, as well as claims for services provided by companies owned by MLAs.
One such memorandum from the Speaker’s office on March 19, provided to the media by Weedmark, granted an exemption for MLAs Daryl Harrison and Warren Kaeding to advertise in the World-Spectator, subject to conditions. A second exemption from June 2025 provided exemptions for four additional Sask. Party MLAs: Lori Carr, Michael Weger, Travis Keisig and David Chan.
The NDP claimed this second exemption had not been shared with the opposition or provided to the Board of Internal Economy.
“I've asked the Speaker what additional exemptions exist that we may not know about,” Conway told reporters.
“I've asked is there any formal mechanism to ensure that these exemptions are made public, so that the Official Opposition is aware, but also the broader public. And I've asked the Speaker what oversight his office has been providing, including whether Kevin Weedmark has submitted any proof that he's paying full price for this advertisement and not receiving a gift of free advertising in the World-Spectator.”
Conway said she also asked the Speaker whether this exemption will be in place going forward, pointing to some issues that weren’t known when the exemption was granted.
She pointed to the “fact that there's been at least one formal complaint that the World-Spectator has been granted special access to government events, and including the fact that we now know that the World-Spectator bankrolled, in part, Kevin Weedmark's election campaign, including lending him a campaign vehicle.”
Conway also questioned why the exemptions were required, given that there were other media outlets available to the MLAs who advertised.
“There are definitely other newspapers in the member for Yorkton's riding, the member for Estevan, the member for Last Mountain-Touchwood, etc.
“So, again, that condition that came with the first letter was then kind of extended or granted for additional MLAs. And again, if we had had the opportunity to know this was happening, we could point this out to the Speaker. But at the time, some of the issues that had been raised in that letter were not necessarily known.”
This latest news conference follows Conway’s submission to the Conflict of Interest Commissioner the previous day, in which she called for an investigation into Weedmark’s financial interest in the Moosomin World-Spectator and whether he ran afoul of conflict-of-interest rules.
When asked for a response Wednesday to Conway’s latest concerns, government officials pointed to Weedmark’s statements the previous day in response to the issue. Both times, Weedmark contended he followed the rules.
“I have followed all of the conditions and direction provided in the various letters from both the Speaker and the Conflict-of-Interest Commissioner,” Weedmark stated Tuesday.
SaskToday has reached out to the Speaker’s office for comment and will update the story should a response be provided.
As well, SaskToday and a number of other media outlets have put in requests to the government for Weedmark to appear in person before reporters. So far, that media availability has not been provided, with Weedmark instead issuing written responses through the caucus office.
