Conservative MP John Weston reported the most travel benefits of any elected official in his party for 2011.
Federal politicians are required to report travel benefits every year to Mary Dawson, the federal conflict of interest and ethics commissioner. Dawson compiled the information into a report, which she released at the end of March.
Nearly 60 MPs reported receiving more than $420,000 collectively in sponsored trips. Conservative MPs reported the most expenses, accepting $236,503. Liberals had about $131,740, New Democratic Party $33,911 and Bloc Quebecois reported $17,979.
Weston, who represents West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country, reported $15,761, the most among Conservative MPs, for two trips to Iraq and Hong Kong.
“Whenever I travel on someone else’s expense, I’m careful that my independent judgment is not being compromised and that I’m doing things that I’m elected to do,” Weston said. “Many people in the riding recognize that I had a career in international law and human rights and Pacific Rim things, so I continue to do things which leverage my experience and background that constituents need me to do.”
One Free World International, a human rights organization focusing on religious minorities, sponsored the trip to Iraq. “I was the first Canadian MP in years to visit Iraq on a human rights mission,” Weston said. “The other travel was a trip to Hong Kong, which is another of our priorities in this riding—Pacific Rim engagement. That trip enabled me to meet with leaders in business and government in Hong Kong as part of my ongoing efforts to promote tourism, investment, trade and foreign students in our schools.”
The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office sponsored the trip to Hong Kong.
Other MPs probably took more trips than he did, Weston said, but the Iraq travel was particularly expensive because of the high cost of security on the ground. He met with government leaders, including the vice-president and the minister of environment, Weston added. “It’s germane to my human rights work and, indirectly, to my attempt to understand the whole situation in the Mideast as government liaison to the Iranian-Canadian community,” he said.
Weston also said he was “very frugal” using taxpayers’ money. “In terms of taxpayer-covered travel, I was the second lowest MP in BC out of the 36 of us in the last year, because I look quite methodically for the most economical way to travel,” he said.
