I paid for my ticket, says Dwight Ball when asked about Marystown skating show

Liberal Leader Dwight Ball is denying allegations he received a free ticket to a skating show featuring Kaetlyn Osmond in exchange for a grant to a Marystown figure skating club.

CBC Investigates published a story on Mondayshowingan emailsent by a staff member for MHA Mark Browne.

It says the Liberals wanted 30 tickets for the 2018 show and would be giving a "monetary donation" to the club.

Browne deniesthere were any free tickets issued, despite several sources saying different, and a second email saying the grant would be more than revenue lost by issuing the tickets for free.

After the first leaders debate on Tuesday evening, Ball said he paid for his ticket himself.

That grant wasn't awarded to pay for tickets.- Dwight Ball

"I ordered the tickets through Mark," he said."That was money I would have given to Mark. He paid for those tickets for me."

Ball said he didn't expense any part of the trip travel, tickets or accommodations. He said he doesn't bill taxpayers for any minor hockey or figure skating events he attends.

"When I enter those arenas, I go in there and I certainly pay my way and make sure I leave some money there to support the local charities and local organizations that do just a great job around our province," he said.

He echoed Browne's statement, saying, "that grant wasn't awarded to pay for tickets."

As for the lack of receipts to show the tickets were paid for using their own money, Ball said it's not common practice to get receipts for small-town events like figure skating shows.

"I've never seen anyone actually issue a receipt," he said. "In my time around senior hockey, minor hockey, all kinds of sporting events, I didn't really see receipts issued at the wickets when people pick up tickets."

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