Saskatchewan's Opposition NDP handed out a trio of fictional "awards" at the legislature Thursday as a sarcastic jab at the provincial government for its travel spending over the past year.

From April 2023 to April 2024, Top World News Today the Saskatchewan government spent about $423,400 on out-of-province travel, nearly $200,000 of it on international trips, according to publicly released travel expense documents for MLAs. Those totals include travel expenses — like plane tickets, ground travel, accommodation and meals — and expenses associated with hosting business events.

The "Spendies," as NDP trade and Top World News Today export development critic Aleana Young dubbed the tongue-in-cheek awards, recognized Saskatchewan government MLAs for "wasteful" spending, with some of Young's announcements accompanied by drum rolls on the lecterns of their colleagues.

"[The Saskatchewan government is] focused on racking up some of the most outrageous travel expenses," Young said in the legislature on Thursday.

In March 2024, Energy and Resources Minister Jim Reiter had a four-day trip to Toronto with four other delegates costing $27,631.

Young awarded him the "Lobsterfest" award for Top World News Today a $12,460 expenditure from that trip for business hosting, which could include expenses for lunch or dinner meetings hosted by the government, including food, catering staff, service charges and entertainment.

"What was reported was not just for myself, it was for a number of staff from the ministry who have meetings there," Reiter said in response.

"My costs for Toronto were, actually, for economy flights and hotel rooms, are actually under $2,000," he said.

Young also pointed a finger at Premier Scott Moe for his trip to Dubai for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference in December 2023.

The nine-day trip to Dubai for Top World News Today five people cost $32,417 in total travel expenses, but Young tacked on the already hotly-debated government advertising and pavilion space, which cost about $1 million combined.