Minister of International Trade Chrystia Freeland says the Conservatives were “trying to create story where there isn’t one,” after a backbench MP questioned her about a trip to Los Angeles where she appeared on a talk show last fall.

Freeland told CTV’s Power Play that she conducted at least half-a-dozen meetings on her two-day stop in California last November, in addition to her appearance on HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher”.

“While I was there, I met with and supported our creative industries, I met with and supported some of our banking sector which has a strong Canadian presence there, I met with some of the key leaders in the state government,” she said.

“I am never going to apologize for travelling around the world to support Canadian business and I’m, in particular, never going to apologize for travelling to the United States,” Freeland added, pointing out that Canada conducts more trade with California than either France or Germany.

Earlier Monday during question period, Conservative MP Blaine Calkins asked why Freeland had travelled to L.A. after the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation meeting in the Philippines, instead of taking a government Challenger jet back to Canada.

“Why are Canadian taxpayers footing the bill for a first-class trip to Hollywood, just so the minister can be on an American talk show?” Calkins said.

“Cabinet ministers can do what they want with their personal vanity projects, but Canadians shouldn’t have to pay for them,” Calkins went on.

The minister’s expense declaration shows Freeland expensed $12,509.62 for her flights to Manila and Los Angeles, plus $934.66 for accommodation and $381.79 for meals and incidentals.

Freeland took a business class flight from Manila to Los Angeles. She was booked on a business class flight back to Toronto, but downgraded to economy class.

That follows guidelines from the treasury board, which recommends that ministers avoid business class for flights shorter than 850 kilometres.

After question period, Calkins mistakenly claimed Freeland had not met with business leaders.

“We know of no other business that the minister was doing in Los Angeles,” he said. “She’s a trade minister. She wasn’t talking about trade negotiation, she wasn’t selling anything to the American people, she wasn’t meeting with American government officials. She wasn’t even meeting with American businesspeople.”

Freeland’s press secretary sent a statement to CTV News pointing out that Freeland met with President of World Trade Center LA Stephen Cheung, Senior Vice-President of City National Bank Jim Haney, CEO of Entertainment at IMAX Greg Foster and others while in Los Angeles.

International Trade Canada even shared a series of Tweets and photos during the trip that showed Freeland had met with Cheung and previewed IMAX productions of Star Wars, The Jungle Book and The Hunger Games.

Calkins said after question period that Freeland’s interview with Bill Maher “did not go well.”

In the interview, which made headlines at the time, Maher and Freeland discussed Canada’s decision to bring 25,000 Syrian refugees to Canada, which Maher opposes because he said a small number of Muslims support the Islamic State, practices like honour killings and forced marriages.

"I think now it is incredibly dangerous and very wrong to persecute Muslims and say there is something wrong with being a Muslim," Freeland said.

Maher denied he was demonizing Muslims, but said their ideas need to change.

"You're saying their ideas are bad?" Freeland asked.

"Killing women for being raped, I would say is a bad idea. I do. Hang me for it," Maher said.

With files from The Canadian Press