MLA Jenny Kwan, who represents one of Canada’s poorest neighbourhoods, scoops up $1.9M Kitsilano home

Vocal public advocate for the homeless is back in B.C. Legislature after Portland Hotel Society scandal

BY ROB SHAW, VANCOUVER SUN APRIL 10, 2014

Vancouver New Democrat Jenny Kwan says she dipped into two personal lines of credit to pay $35,000 for family trips to Disneyland and Europe originally billed to a Downtown Eastside non-profit society that helps vulnerable people

Photograph by: Jason Payne , PNG

VICTORIA — The MLA who represents one of Canada’s poorest neighbourhoods now lives in a $1.9-million home in Kitsilano.

Vancouver-Mount Pleasant MLA Jenny Kwan bought the house, near Kitsilano Secondary, for $1.938 million late last year after separating from her husband, Dan Small.

“After my husband and I separated, I moved to be close to my brother, who is helping me with my children,” Kwan said in a statement, after declining an interview.

“My passion and commitment for representing my constituents in Vancouver-Mt. Pleasant is unwavering and I will continue to be a strong voice for them.”

Kwan’s riding includes Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, one of the poorest neighbourhoods in Canada. She has represented the area since 1996, and has been a vocal public advocate for the homeless, as well as services for those suffering from poverty and addictions.

Although many MLAs do live in the ridings they represent, it is not a legal requirement.

Premier Christy Clark, who lost her seat in Vancouver-Point Grey in last May’s provincial election, now represents the riding of Westside-Kelowna, even though she primarily lives in the Lower Mainland.

The legislature does not keep a list of MLAs who live outside their ridings, but several MLAs on both sides of the house — including Liberal cabinet minsters Suzanne Anton (Vancouver-Fraserview) and Teresa Wat (Richmond Centre) — live outside their ridings.

Kwan returned to the legislature on Wednesday after being caught up in a spending scandal involving her family’s vacation expenses being paid by a Downtown Eastside charitable organization that provides housing and addiction services to the poor.

Kwan reimbursed the Portland Hotel Society almost $34,922 for trips to Disneyland, the United Kingdom and Vienna in 2012, which she said her husband billed to the society without her knowledge.

Small had been a senior executive at the Portland Hotel Society.

After a tearful press conference in which Kwan apologized for the spending, she took a two-week unpaid leave of absence from her job as MLA.

NDP leader Adrian Dix celebrated Kwan’s return Wednesday with a press conference during which he called her “courageous” for taking responsibility for her husband’s actions.

Kwan said she used two personal lines of credit to make the repayment to the society, and has not spoken to her ex-husband since her leave from office.

“This has been a very difficult, challenging time for me personally, but I’m returning fully committed to represent the people of my community and to work to ensure my constituents have a strong voice,” said Kwan.

She sidestepped questions on whether her family spending controversy has hurt her Opposition party’s ability to criticize the Liberal government on issues of poverty reduction and services for the Downtown Eastside.

Government auditors had flagged the trips for lavish expenses, including a hotel room in the United Kingdom that cost $884 per night, a $65 charge for flowers to the room, as well as alcohol and spa service in another instance.

The Disneyland trip for Kwan and her family included a room upgrade at the Grand Californian Hotel & Spa worth $2,695, which Kwan said her husband told her he had paid, but which actually had been billed back to the charity.

Kwan said the focus now should be on making sure the Portland Hotel Society, which provides housing and services for the poor, continues its work to help residents and that “people’s voices are heard” in  her riding.