NB Telegraph-Journal | Politics As published on page A5 on January 7, 2006
Lord says first-class flights fine Hong Kong trip met travel policy
By Kathy Kaufield Telegraph-Journal
Premier Bernard Lord is defending the province's decision to spend about $23,000 extra on first-class airline tickets to fly New Brunswick's delegation to recent World Trade Organization meetings in Hong Kong.
He said the Agriculture Department's decision to spend $8,082 per ticket for the four-person delegation falls within the government's travel policy, which allows for the purchase of business executive tickets for long trips.
"It's a long flight and when (Agriculture Minister David Alward) lands in Hong Kong he has to perform for the people of New Brunswick and with the jet lag and so on...," Mr. Lord said Friday. "That's the policy in place and that's the policy we're following."
Christina Winsor, spokesperson for the Office of Human Resources, said Friday the government's policy requires economy airline tickets to be used unless it's an emergency. Departments also have the option of purchasing first-class tickets for all intercontinental flights as well as for long flights within North America. She said first-class tickets are allowed for trips south of New York and west of Winnipeg.
A New Brunswick industry representative who paid his own way to the Hong Kong meetings flew economy class for $2,400. The province's decision to buy first-class tickets put total airfare costs at $32,328 for the minister, Liberal agriculture critic LeRoy Armstrong and two government staffers. That's about $23,000 more than the cost of economy tickets.
While Mr. Alward said he wasn't involved in the decision to purchase business class tickets, Mr. Armstrong said he insisted upon flying first class because he's six feet two inches tall and the flight to Hong Kong is nearly 16 hours long.
The inclusion of Mr. Armstrong in the New Brunswick delegation raised some eyebrows because he is an Opposition politician but Mr. Lord explained his presence at the meetings by saying he was there as "a pair" because the legislature was sitting during the meetings.
"Well, LeRoy was there as a pair. That's part of the environment we live in. So the pair has to be there and it's also an opportunity to involve members of the opposition in important files like this," Mr. Lord said.
With only a one-seat majority in the House, Mr. Alward couldn't risk being halfway across the world as MLAs voted on the Throne Speech, one of the few confidence votes during the legislative session. In the past when Tory MLAs had to be away from the legislature, they would strike pairing deals with Opposition MLAs who would agree not to vote during the government MLA's absence. But the Liberals have refused to strike pairing agreements since last spring.
Mr. Alward would not speculate on whether he would have made the trip if Mr. Armstrong hadn't been with him. The minister said Mr. Armstrong was a "full member" of the province's delegation and the inclusion of an Opposition MLA sent an important message to the federal negotiators that the province supported the supply management system.
Paul Jensen, spokesperson for the Agriculture Producers of New Brunswick, said the minister's attendance at the meetings was essential to push for federal negotiators to strengthen their position.
"Granted, it's probably expensive...
"We tend to be thrifty," Mr. Jensen said. "(But) if the minister hadn't have gone, I think it would have been a bigger issue with the agriculture industry than the fact that he did go."
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NB Telegraph-Journal | Politics
As published on page A5 on January 7, 2006
Lord says first-class flights fine
Hong Kong trip met travel policy
By Kathy Kaufield
Telegraph-Journal
Premier Bernard Lord is defending the province's decision to spend about $23,000 extra on first-class airline tickets to fly New Brunswick's delegation to recent World Trade Organization meetings in Hong Kong.
He said the Agriculture Department's decision to spend $8,082 per ticket for the four-person delegation falls within the government's travel policy, which allows for the purchase of business executive tickets for long trips.
"It's a long flight and when (Agriculture Minister David Alward) lands in Hong Kong he has to perform for the people of New Brunswick and with the jet lag and so on...," Mr. Lord said Friday. "That's the policy in place and that's the policy we're following."
Christina Winsor, spokesperson for the Office of Human Resources, said Friday the government's policy requires economy airline tickets to be used unless it's an emergency. Departments also have the option of purchasing first-class tickets for all intercontinental flights as well as for long flights within North America. She said first-class tickets are allowed for trips south of New York and west of Winnipeg.
A New Brunswick industry representative who paid his own way to the Hong Kong meetings flew economy class for $2,400. The province's decision to buy first-class tickets put total airfare costs at $32,328 for the minister, Liberal agriculture critic LeRoy Armstrong and two government staffers. That's about $23,000 more than the cost of economy tickets.
While Mr. Alward said he wasn't involved in the decision to purchase business class tickets, Mr. Armstrong said he insisted upon flying first class because he's six feet two inches tall and the flight to Hong Kong is nearly 16 hours long.
The inclusion of Mr. Armstrong in the New Brunswick delegation raised some eyebrows because he is an Opposition politician but Mr. Lord explained his presence at the meetings by saying he was there as "a pair" because the legislature was sitting during the meetings.
"Well, LeRoy was there as a pair. That's part of the environment we live in. So the pair has to be there and it's also an opportunity to involve members of the opposition in important files like this," Mr. Lord said.
With only a one-seat majority in the House, Mr. Alward couldn't risk being halfway across the world as MLAs voted on the Throne Speech, one of the few confidence votes during the legislative session. In the past when Tory MLAs had to be away from the legislature, they would strike pairing deals with Opposition MLAs who would agree not to vote during the government MLA's absence. But the Liberals have refused to strike pairing agreements since last spring.
Mr. Alward would not speculate on whether he would have made the trip if Mr. Armstrong hadn't been with him. The minister said Mr. Armstrong was a "full member" of the province's delegation and the inclusion of an Opposition MLA sent an important message to the federal negotiators that the province supported the supply management system.
Paul Jensen, spokesperson for the Agriculture Producers of New Brunswick, said the minister's attendance at the meetings was essential to push for federal negotiators to strengthen their position.
"Granted, it's probably expensive...
"We tend to be thrifty," Mr. Jensen said. "(But) if the minister hadn't have gone, I think it would have been a bigger issue with the agriculture industry than the fact that he did go."
with files from Carl Davies
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