April 09, 2014 - 12:04 PM
VICTORIA - Vancouver New Democrat Jenny Kwan says she dipped into two personal lines of credit to pay $35,000 for family trips to Disneyland and Europe originally billed to a Downtown Eastside non-profit society that helps vulnerable people
Kwan is back from an unpaid leave she took after government audits revealed financial irregularities at the Portland Hotel Society, including lavish travel expenses.
Kwan says she believed her former husband Dan Small covered the travel expenses for herself and their two children, but audits reveal the society covered the costs.
She says she's certain that her family didn't take any other trips on the society's account, but suggests she may have attended society-sponsored Christmas events in the past.
Kwan says she'll continue to advocate for her constituents, some of whom are vulnerable people who live in poverty and access the services of the Portland Hotel Society.
The Liberal government fired four managers and appointed an interim board after scathing audits detailed the society spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on luxury trips, hotels, restaurant meals and other questionable expenses.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2014