B.C. government official’s taxpayer-funded trip to Dubai under scrutiny

Critics are raising concerns about another taxpayer-funded trip by a B.C. government official.

In December 2023, Jeremy Hewitt, B.C.’s assistant deputy minister for climate change, travelled to Dubai for the COP 28 Climate Conference.

A freedom of information request by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation uncovered the bill for that six-day stay, which totalled nearly $18,000.

“There are times when bureaucrats and politicians do genuinely need to travel, but when they do, they need to make sure that they’re doing it in a way that’s respectful of taxpayers,” Carson Binda with the Canadian Taxpayers Federation said.

1:23 City of Richmond cancels holiday staff party.

B.C.’s Minister of Energy and Climate Solutions, Adrian Dix, defended the decision to send Hewitt to the conference in 2023.

“Government has taken specific action with respect to travel this year because we want to make sure that all of the money we have goes absolutely as much as possible to front line service,” he said.

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“We’re going to continue to do that. I’m not at COP this year, but that doesn’t mean I don’t think COP is important.”

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation says at least three other bureaucrats from B.C.’s Climate Action Secretariat also travelled to the Dubai conference.