SASKATCHEWAN (CBC) - The Opposition is up in arms over proposal that would let Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall's cabinet spend up to $350,000 at a time without telling the public about it for more than a year.

Currently, the law requires that every cabinet payment over $50,000 be made public in orders-in-council - documents to which the public has access within a few days.

It's often in orders-in-council that the news media or the Opposition first learn about cabinet expenditures.

However, under Bill 31, the Executive Government Administration Act, which MLAs are debating in the current session of the legislature, the amount at which cabinet expenditures must appear in the orders-in-council is being raised by 600 per cent.

If the change goes ahead, any expenditure under $350,000 approved by the government would still be reported, but not until the government's public accounts come out - sometimes more than a year later.

"This kind of change is intolerable," said NDP leader Lorne Calvert, who accused Wall of breaking a campaign promise to run an open and accountable government.

Wall replied Calvert's accusations were "ridiculous," adding that government is making the change to be more efficient.

"We will be forthright with the people of this province," he said in the legislature.

Speaking to reporters later, though, Wall said less transparency wasn't the intent of the bill and he still might find a way to make public payments under $350,000 in a timely way.

While he didn't say when or how he might do that, he said he he'll consider it. The reason for the proposed change was to speed up cabinet meetings, not to hide things from the public, he said.

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