BY RATTAN MALL

 

WHO all are included in Conservative MP Nina Grewal’s “designated traveller” expenses that cost taxpayers a whopping $32,710 last year (April 1, 2012 to March 31, 2013)?
 
After all, Grewal (Fleetwood-Port Kells) herself had a travel expenditure of only $62,258.32 – that means her “designated traveller(s)” spent MORE THAN 50 PER CENT of what she did!
 
Nina had 27.50 regular travel points and only 2 special travel points, while her “designated traveller” had 3 regular travel points and 5 special travel points, according to the parliamentary website.
 
Regular points are for a trip to Ottawa, while special points are to other places.
 
So where exactly did the “designated traveller(s)” go to end up billing taxpayers $32,710?
 
The other two South Asian MPs from BC – Newton-North Delta’s Jinny Sims and Surrey North’s Jasbir Sandhu, both NDP – charged no money for “designated traveller(s).”
 
According to the Parliamentary website, a “designated traveller” is “a traveller designated by the Member other than: the Member’s employees; or another Member.” They are usually spouses and adult children.