Burnaby-Edmonds MLA Raj Chouhan is repaying taxpayers more than $2,000 for airfare for a trip he took with his wife to South Africa last August.
While Chouhan insists he followed the rules and was allowed to book an airline ticket for his wife to accompany him, he decided to repay the $2,200 because he didn't want to be the centre of negative publicity.
"I don't want any distraction. I checked many times that what I did was correct and that I didn't need to pay," he said. "But the story was going on and on, and I don't want to be that story. ... Mainly, I didn't want any distraction so I paid."
Controversy around the trip surfaced with media reports focused on Liberal MLA Linda Reid. Reid has spent $120,000 in renovations and expenses, including $5,500 for her husband to fly business class with her to South Africa.
Reid is the House speaker, and Chouhan is the deputy speaker, and while they were not on the same flight, both travelled to South Africa in August for the annual Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference. The purpose of the five-day event is for representatives from Commonwealth countries to gather and discuss global issues, Chouhan said.
According to Chouhan, travel rules stipulate two options for MLAs taking flights longer than four hours: travel solo in business class, or take a spouse and travel in economy - although those rules are now under review, he says.
Chouhan says he booked the cheapest flight he could find.
"I was sitting in the last row of the plane, I couldn't move my feet," he said. "That was very uncomfortable. ... I could not justify flying business class. It was a 22 hour flight."
