Delta mayor cancels international trip to conference to avoid being a ‘distraction’

Delta Mayor George Harvie has confirmed he has decided to cancel an upcoming work trip to the Netherlands.

The move comes after Harvie was questioned over recent travel expenses he has incurred while in public office.

Harvie shared in a statement that he won’t attend the International Conference on Urban Drainage and study tour on green infrastructure planned for early June.

The trip was set to include meetings with the City of Rotterdam and expert presentations about urban drainage and flooding, Harvie said.

He said the conference aligns with “Metro Vancouver’s work to develop and update the region’s liquid waste and drinking water management plans” which would help Metro Vancouver with its delivery of these services for the future.

“I have come to the difficult decision to forego this learning opportunity. I do not wish to be a distraction to the ongoing work at Metro Vancouver,” he said.

Reports suggest that the mayor, who was recently ousted as chair of Metro Vancouver had denied answering questions about his travel expenses that have racked up to a big sum this year.

The Canadian Taxpayer’s Federation confirmed in an email to CityNews that Harvie’s international airfare tab totalled up to $38,000 — inclusive of a trip to Brisbane, Australia in October 2023 where the airplane ticket alone was over $17,000.

In his statement, Harvie said he will remain on the Metro Vancouver mayors’ committee after his term as chair ends on July 1.