More questions about Metro Vancouver travel after staff trip to Portugal

In caller days Metro Vancouver unit posted a video and photos from a travel to the Web Summit successful Lisbon, Portugal.

Metro Vancouver staffer Sue Mah boasted astir Stella the robotic dog, slayer yoga moves, and a reception they attended.

The travel comes conscionable a fewer months aft a Global News state of accusation petition uncovered however Metro Vancouver spent much than $64,000 payer dollars connected fancy nutrient and intoxicant astatine a league successful Toronto.

Metro Vancouver Chair Mike Hurley promised change, specifically halting planetary travel, astatine slightest for some.

“I’m going to enactment a intermission connected planetary question for committee and committee members. I look guardant to proceeding backmost from staff,” Hurley said.

Travel spending continues adjacent arsenic Metro Vancouver residents look immense taxation increases connected to the North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant, estimated to beryllium astir $3 cardinal implicit budget.

News of the question to Lisbon prompted this effect from New Westminster councillor Daniel Fontaine.

“Metro Vancouver unit are flying astir the world, connected planetary trips, posting that they’re successful luxurious places and I’m definite staying astatine bully hotels,” helium said.

“This truly does not spell implicit good with the public, they’ve mislaid assurance successful Metro Vancouver.”

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BC Conservative person John Rustad said, “I deliberation it is precise irresponsible that radical from Metro person gone retired connected question erstwhile each of their expenses and each of their budgeting needs to beryllium reviewed.”

Staff who travelled to Lisbon are with Invest Vancouver, promoted arsenic Metro Vancouver’s determination economical improvement service.

The bureau was launched astir 5 years ago, adjacent though Metro Vancouver lists its halfway mandate arsenic providing determination inferior services related to drinking water, liquid waste, and coagulated waste.

“Based connected what I tin see, and based connected what I person read, this looks similar a batch of scope creep and looks similar a batch of duplication,” Fontaine said.

Rustad added, “When you bash look astatine what is going with Metro, I bash question whether oregon not they should beryllium the ones to beryllium progressive successful things similar this.”

Global News emailed Metro Vancouver communications unit with a fig of questions. They person not provided immoderate answers.