The Canadian Union of Public Employees is calling on the Horizon Health Network to explain why it is using money raised from parking fees to send employees to special events.

The province’s largest health authority has come under scrutiny this week after it was revealed that it paid $3,870 so employees could attend a fundraiser for the governing Progressive Conservative Party.

The health authority has since called the decision a mistake and the Tories have promised to refund the money.

But Gordon Black, a regional director with CUPE, said he wants a thorough accounting of how these so-called "board-sponsored expenses.”

Horizon Health said last week it uses some of the money it collects from parking fees to take part in community events.

Black said the network needs to provide a breakdown of the $13 million that it spent last year on board-sponsored expenses.

"They're a public corporation, created by the province of New Brunswick. They have no right to spend money as they see fit,” Black said.

“Every cent that they raise has to be accounted for, because it's held in trust by them for the people of New Brunswick, and they have no business spending it on anything but health care."

Questions over the health authority's spending comes as all government departments and agencies are being forced to defend their budgets.

Finance Minister Blaine Higgs is attempting to slash the province's $471-million deficit.

Horizon Health cut $4 million from its budget last October, which forced the authority to cut jobs and reduce hours at community health centres.

Report coming

Horizon Health listed the $13 million as "board generated revenues" and it also listed "board sponsored expenses" in its annual report.

The revenues are generated from parking fees and cafeteria costs. Some of that money was spent maintaining parking lots and overhead for cafeterias.

However, the health authority does not offer an itemized breakdown of its spending in its annual report.

Last year, the health authority brought in almost $700,000 more in board funds than it spent.

Horizon has promised to give more details of how it spends the money. The authority said it will take a few days to compile the report.

There is confusion inside the health system about what these funds are used for each year.

Walter Shirley, the parking manager at The Moncton Hospital, said he doesn't know exactly what happens to the excess money.

"I'm not sure exactly what board funds means. I just know over my last 22 years that anything that doesn't come off my operation expenses goes to what we call board funds,” Shirley said.