A move to have some MLA expenses reported publicly doesn't go far enough, said BC Liberal Party leadership candidate Mike de Jong.

"My understanding of it, it's progress, and that's good," de Jong said moments before introducing a private member's bill in the legislature that would go further.

The Legislative Assembly Management Committee, which includes members of both parties, decided unanimously at a Feb. 16 meeting to publicly report MLAs' expenses for travel, accommodation in Victoria and per diems, government house leader Rich Coleman said.

"[I] never got any push back from anybody, so it's time to do it," he said.

The spending will be reported annually with the public accounts, which are usually released in early July, and will follow the same format as how cabinet minister's expenses are now reported, Coleman said. The next stage will be to include the spending on MLAs' constituency offices, he said.

"LAMC has said these things in the past, I know because I was there, and it hasn't happened," said de Jong. "It deals with one part of the equation, but MLAs also get money to operate their offices, and a sizable amount of money and that should also be disclosed."

Mike de Jong said his bill covers both constituency and legislative expenses and would require them to be disclosed on a publicly accessible website.

Andrew MacLeod is The Tyee’s Legislative Bureau Chief in Victoria. Reach him here.