July 20, 2021

The skies over Saskatchewan are a little unfriendlier thanks to a new attack by the federal Liberal government, according to Michael Kram, Member of Parliament for Regina-Wascana.

“First there was the lack of pandemic funding. Then there was the threat to close the air traffic control tower. Now they are choking off international flights for no reason. It’s hard not to read a message into these repeated attacks on Saskatchewan air transportation,” Kram said.

Kram was responding to the Liberal government’s July 19 announcement of easing of travel restrictions, which included a significant expansion of airports that would be allowed to accept international flights. Neither Regina nor Saskatoon was on the list, leaving Saskatchewan as the only province west of New Brunswick unable to accept such flights.

“This is in spite of the fact that YQR was ahead of the curve of many airports in instituting its own private sector rapid testing facility – at the time one of the only publicly available rapid test sites in the city. YQR has been as safe or safer than many other airports during the pandemic,” Kram says.

“It speaks volumes that the Quebec City Airport, an airport of approximately the same size and airport class as Regina’s, has been allowed to accept international flights yet we cannot. The message is clear: if you are in the Liberals’ good books, you are rewarded. If you are not, you are punished. That’s not called a democracy – it’s called a kleptocracy.”

Kram called on all Regina citizens and stakeholders to protest this decision to the Prime Minister and the Transport Minister.

“By working together, we got it done before to save the air traffic control tower. Let’s let the Liberals know that we want international flights restored to Saskatchewan immediately.”

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For more information, contact:

Patrick Heign
Administrative Assistant for MP Michael Kram, Regina-Wascana
patrick.heign.659@parl.gc.ca
306-585-2202