Mel Norton defends free flight on J.D. Irving airplane

Saint John's mayor and deputy mayor accepted free flights on the J.D Irving Ltd. airplane last week and say they did nothing wrong.

Mayor Mel Norton and Deputy Mayor Shelley Rinehart flew to Fredericton with Irving executives last week to attend Premier Brian Gallant's State of the Province address.

Norton says they would otherwise have been unable to attend due to road conditions following a blizzard.

"It was very important for us to get there." says Norton.

"We're grateful that we had a chance to get up there and it was only because of the kindness of J.D. Irving [Ltd.]and asking if we would like to go up with them."

The circumstances, Norton adds, were extraordinary.

But the return flight was not the first time he travelled on the company's plane.

In 2013, Norton says he flew on the JDI airplane to Toronto as part of a delegation promoting the city at an event sponsored by TD Bank. He says the circumstances in that case were similar.

"It was a chance to be able to get up to Toronto and back very quickly with our Saint John delegation," he says.

J.D. Irving Ltd is a major employer in Saint John and the company and municipality interact at many levels.

The two are currently at loggerheads on at least one outstanding issue,acontract to supply raw water to the Reversing Falls pulp mill, whichexpired in 2005.The two sides have so far been unable to reach agreement on a new one.

The company continues to pay the rate of a decade ago. If a contract renewal for rawwater reached in December with Irving Oil Ltd.is an indication, millions of dollars is at stake.

But Rinehartsays she does not believe it was inappropriate to accept the JDI invitation. She likens last week's Fredericton trip to a passerby helping a stranded motorist on the highway.

"We have to be confident enough in our own ability that we can separate work from personal." says Rinehart.

"And people have to be confident enough in us that they believe we can separate the two."

When you accept a favour from a person you're leaving yourself open to the opportunity that at some time you're going to be asked to repay the favour.- Shirley McAlary, Saint John councillor

Rinehart sat as a guest at the JDI table for the $185 per seat event hosted by the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce.

Norton was a guest of the Port Corp.of Saint John at the dinner.

J.P. Lewis, a University of New Brunswick political scienceprofessor, saysthat when it comes to the private sector, politicians at all levels have to be conscious of real or perceived conflicts of interest.

"The biggest question is: How will anything regardless of the private actors involved be perceived by the public?" says Lewis.

"When these things happen it's difficult for it not to contribute to an already cynical public."

City councillors contacted by CBC News say they were not made aware that Norton and Rinehart used the JDI airplane to get to Fredericton.

"I personally don't think it's a good thing to do that." said Coun. Shirley McAlary and a former city mayor.

"When you accept a favour from a person you're leaving yourself open to the opportunity that at some time you're going to be asked to repay the favour.

"I think I would have stayed home."