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Jean said the current system is ripe for abuse, pointing to PC MLA for Edmonton-McClung David Xiao, who racked up $34,793 for travel expenses, double the average of all Edmonton MLAs back in 2012.

A Wildrose government would usher in rules and best practices from the private sector and federal government, Jean said.

“These perks simply could not happen in Ottawa,” he said. “Under our new rules, MLAs who charge taxpayers for mileage or any other vehicle expense must first of all account for this in a very clear, itemized, detailed way.”

He then tore into a large, mock “MasterPerks” credit card, cutting the visual device in half with an electrical reciprocal saw.

While campaigning though southern Alberta, Tory Leader Jim Prentice fired back at Jean, accusing the former federal MP for Fort McMurray-Athabasca of political grandstanding.

“People who are serving in elected office are by and large honest folks who are working hard and trying to do the right thing,” Prentice said.

“He knows because he was a federal member of Parliament that there are costs involved in people travelling back and forth between the capital and visiting their constituents,” the premier said in an interview.

Prentice pointed out Jean, who served as a Conservative MP for a decade until 2014, recorded over $1 million in travel and personal expenses over that period and $100,000 in his last year in Parliament.

Jean also said he would increase the amount of time MLAs sit in the legislature.