NDP MLA paid back $457 in March after mistakenly double-claiming meals

NDP MLA Debbie Jabbour is the latest politician to explain how overbilling on expenses led her to reimburse taxpayers around $450.

“In March of this year, I reimbursed $457 in expenses, an amount that corrected some double-filings for meals and per diems, as well as some mistakenly filed expenses,” said the Peace River MLA in an email Monday.

“Ensuring that expenses are filed in a responsible manner is important, and that is why our team regularly reviews expenses. In the course of these reviews, errors are found and corrected.”

MLAs are allowed to either claim a per diem or provide a receipt for meals when travelling on business, but several have double-claimed and been forced to reimburse the costs.

Last week the United Conservative Party paid back around $550 after an internal audit found “administrative errors” related to expenses filed by nine MLAs.

Interim leader Nathan Cooper said Thursday that all UCP MLAs with anomalies in their expenses reimbursed the Crown.

The NDP caucus said a mistake caused Calgary-Shaw MLA Graham Sucha to double-bill a meal on April 5 in Leduc, costing about $35.

Expense disclosures have been under scrutiny after former UCP MLA Derek Fildebrandt admitted to renting out his taxpayer-funded apartment online and doubleclaiming meal expenses. The embattled MLA for StrathmoreBrooks resigned from the UCP caucus to sit as an independent.

The NDP is reviewing MLA expenses going back to the election, said Robin Steudel, director of NDP caucus communications, on Friday.

“We will continue to correct mistakes as they are identified directly with the (Legislative Assembly Office), we don’t plan to issue any reports on our findings,” she said in an email.