Opposition parties consider the exorbitant travel expenses of the former head of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission unacceptable and frivolous, while the Trudeau government is washing its hands of them.
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The manager in question, Romina Velshi, was paid $288,000 for business trips over a 19-month period.
“This is simply unacceptable. We are talking about luxury hotels and baggage porters, and Quebec and Canadian taxpayers are the ones footing the bill.”
MI From January 2022 to July 2023, Velshi accumulated nearly $300,000 in travel expenses, including $1,000 nights and business-class plane tickets to the four corners of the planet, including one priced at $12,600.
No government employee, in all departments, spent as much on travel during this period.
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Request for comment on M’s expensesI Velshi, the minister who oversees the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC), did not want to participate, stressing that the agency is independent of the federal government.
Energy and Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson explained that the CNSC is “responsible for the management and oversight of its financial authorities.”
MI The Trudeau government appointed Velshi to head the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission in 2018. She left her position last October.
The federal agency has refused to account for some of its former chief’s expensive stays.
But for Mario Simard, “MI He insists Velshi must explain himself, and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission must review its practices in order to reassure residents that it is managing public funds appropriately.
A CNSC spokesperson confirmed that the flights were carried out in accordance with Treasury Board guidelines.
However, the office of Treasury Board Chair Anita Anand did not want to determine whether the National Security Committee had respected its guidelines, because it does not report to it.
Minister Wilkinson said he expects all Canadian representatives to follow “all relevant guidelines including travel guidelines,” without specifying which ones.
“While everyone is tightening their belts and residents continue to suffer the wrath of inflation and rising mortgage rates, it is shameful to see our tax dollars being spent in this way,” Ms. Simard continues.
According to Conservative MP Pierre-Paul Hus, the Trudeau government, with its heavy spending and large deficits, has created a general climate of neglect within the public apparatus.
“So it’s not surprising to learn that a government employee appointed by the Liberals feels entitled to live lavishly at taxpayer expense,” Mr. Paul Hows said.
