Patrick Johnstone ought to pay back funds or donate that amount to a local charity: Karima Budhwani, President, New West Progressives and former Council Candidate
New Westminster, B.C. (October 30, 2024): The President of New West Progressives and former Council Candidate, Karima Budhwani, says City Council needs to ask Mayor Patrick Johnstone to pay back the cost of his all-expense-paid trip to Dubai to attend a climate conference. This after the city’s Ethics Commissioner found he breached the city’s Code of Conduct and the Community Charter Act by accepting the luxury trip from foreign-based conference sponsors and organizers.
In her 23-page decision, Ethics Commissioner Jennifer Devins found that the trip, which included business class airfare and “luxury” hotel accommodations paid for by US-based Bloomberg Philanthropies and the conference organizing committee, constituted a personal benefit. The business class air travel to Dubai, six nights accommodation at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, and meals are estimated at about $15,000 CDN. Given this serious breach of the Code of Conduct and the Community Charter, Mayor Johnstone should be asked to repay the funds to the foreign-based organization, and if that is not possible, the Mayor ought to donate the cost of the trip to a local New Westminster charity.
“Patrick Johnstone has been on city council for over a decade,” added Budhwani. “The Ethics Commissioner says the Mayor should now ‘receive coaching or training’ around the rules, something a 10-year member of council shouldn’t need. New Westminster residents expect their Mayor to know the rules and to do the right thing.
“It is disappointing to learn that the very first report issued by the Ethics Commissioner is about a very serious breach of the Code of Conduct and the Community Charter by our Mayor. New Westminster City Council will be conducting a hearing in public on November 4th, and I urge the Council to ask Mayor Johnstone to make things right by apologizing to New Westminster residents and returning or donating the funds to a charity.”
To read entire report from the Ethics Commissioner, click on the link below:
https://pub-newwestcity.escribemeetings.com/filestream…
NOTE:
– NWP Councillors Paul Minhas and Daniel Fontaine will not be speaking to the media about this issue prior to the November 4th hearing at 11 am at City Hall.