The mayor of Stephenville does not believe he was in a conflict of interest after he and a number of town councillors and staff flew home from a conference in Europe in the fall on board a private jet owned by businessman John Risley.

Risley is with World Energy GH2 which is behind the proposal for a massive wind and hydrogen development in the Stephenville area.

Premier Andrew Furey has already come under fire from the Opposition for having spent vacation time with Risley at the billionaire’s cabin in the summer of 2021.

Mayor Tom Rose says representatives of the town attended a clean energy conference in Hamburg, Germany to sign an MOU with German officials. World Energy GH2 had a booth at the conference to showcase its plans. Rose defends the decision to fly home on Risley’s business jet.

He says Risley offered to fly them back which they saw as an opportunity to spend time with “a very important man” while at the same time saving the town money and not having to take a commercial flight home. They had cancellation insurance and with COVID, Rose says “it was the right thing to do.”