VICTORIA — Speaker of the Legislature Linda Reid has racked up tens of thousands of dollars in questionable expenses, including $48,412 for a custom touch-screen computer terminal in front of her chair in the legislature chamber.

The expenses, obtained by The Vancouver Sun, show Reid has embarked on numerous spending projects at the legislature during a time of fiscal austerity that has seen most government ministries hit with frozen or reduced budgets.

That spending includes $13,449 to convert half the legislature library into a MLA-only TV lounge — with a $733 “food display case/rack” for coffee, muffins and other free snacks for MLAs — and $13,965 for new drapes at the legislature dining room, according to the documents.

The computer terminal proved particularly expensive, with Reid billing taxpayers $4,500 in design fees alone. The final product had custom wood panelling to help it match the historical and ornate design of the rest of the House.

Reid, the six-term Liberal MLA for Richmond East, was named Speaker of the Legislature in July. Though largely a ceremonial job, the Speaker also acts as chairperson of the legislative assembly’s $70-million annual budget, approving MLA salaries, expenses, travel, security, Hansard and other building amenities.

Shortly after being appointed, Reid hired her election campaign manager Susan Wells as executive assistant. Wells lives in Richmond and Reid confirmed she has been billing the legislature for hotel stays and expenses. She’s also eligible to bill meals up to $61 a day and travel costs, The Sun has learned.

Exactly how much money Wells has expensed remains unclear.

Though Reid’s office provided some financial figures, she has twice refused written requests for a detailed accounting of how much Wells has billed. Reid did not return an interview request Monday.

Two other employees in the Speaker’s office are based in Victoria, without such expenses.

Though MLAs must disclose a detailed account of their per diems, housing and travel expenses every four months — NDP MLAs disclose monthly — Reid said in a brief emailed statement Friday that the public should wait until next year’s public accounts report to see a total figure for Wells’ expenses above $5,000.

That practice of partial annual expense disclosure was just one of many lax financial practices legislature officials and politicians pledged to change after they were sharply criticized by former B.C. auditor general John Doyle in 2012.

Doyle audited the legislature’s books and concluded they were in such disarray he was unable to determine if any money was missing.

In response, then-Speaker Bill Barisoff promised open meetings of the legislature’s management committee, as well as better and more frequent disclosure of expenses. Barisoff retired last May.

Reid, B.C.’s current longest-serving MLA, took the Speaker’s office with a public pledge of improving transparency and accountability.

Critics slammed the expenses.

“Talk about a frivolous use of taxpayer dollars,” said Jordan Bateman, B.C. director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. “We don’t pay taxes for frills and gimmicks for the Speaker of the House.”

Reid should be leading by example during tough economic times and curbing her spending, said Bateman. Flying her campaign manager over for a patronage job is “a terrible waste of money,” he said.