Prince George-Cariboo Conservative Todd Doherty was the highest spending MP during the first three quarters of the 2018-19 fiscal year according to a report.
His expenditures from April 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018 came to $466,722.57.
Doherty says there was a lot more travel involved, which led to increased expenses.
“I did a lot of work on our fisheries file which saw a number of trips out to Newfoundland on fisheries issues particularly the clam scam issue where the former Minister of Fisheries was involved in providing a lucrative surf clam quota,” Doherty says.
“Air travel is expensive,” Doherty adds.
“We do look to take advantage of travel passes whenever we can to alleviate some of the costs but then the added costs would have been when we were working on our fisheries files as well as the Asia-Pacific Gateway.”
Doherty also hired two co-op students last year for various initiatives but says that is something he not taking part in this time around.
He says he is not proud to be on the top of this list.
“It’s something that we’re always cognizant of as this is taxpayers dollars we’re spending and as I said, earlier on, I am one of the most competitive guys there is but I am not proud to be on the top of this list.”
(Files from Brendan Pawliw with MyPrinceGeorgeNow)