Two senior officers of the B.C. legislature, on suspension pending a criminal investigation, have another week to respond to allegations of “flagrant overspending” outlined by Speaker Darryl Plecas last week.
Clerk of the house Craig James and sergeant-at-arms Gary Lenz were originally given a deadline of Feb. 1 to provide a written response to Plecas’s 76-page report, which details luxury trips overseas and questionable items expensed to the legislature, including a $13,000 wood splitter and work trailer allegedly delivered to James’s home.
Instead, Lenz and James will have until 4 p.m. on Feb. 7 to provide a written response to the house leaders Mike Farnworth, Mary Polak and Sonia Furstenau.
The response letters could influence a decision on whether James and Lenz should remain suspended with pay. Any change to their employment status must be voted on by all MLAs.
James and Lenz have been suspended with pay since Nov. 20, when they were marched out of the legislature under police escort. The pair have denied all wrongdoing and vowed that a thorough investigation will prove their innocence.
James’ annual salary in 2018 was $347,090; it was $218,167 for Lenz.
The province’s auditor general said Thursday that she has started a deep audit into allegations of inappropriate spending at the legislature.
Carol Bellringer said she has concerns about why a rigorous system already in place did not pick up on alleged irregularities outlined in Plecas’s report.
Bellringer said she’ll keep the public informed as she conducts the audit over about a year.
She said she’s been assured of full co-operation by the legislative assembly management committee and will be looking to its MLA members for direction about the scope of the audit.
“The first thing we do have to do is figure out exactly what needs to be done and why, and what is the purpose of it. Is it being prepared for submission to an authority like the RCMP?” she said in a conference call with reporters, adding she won’t be able to determine that until she has the information she needs.
