Treasury Board President Anita Anand says the government needs to refocus 'unnecessary spending' like executive travel amid revelations the former head of Canada's nuclear watchdog expensed $288,000 in business trips in 19 months. 'It is extremely important for all of us to be very judicious about the choices we are making relating to travel,' Anand told reporters after a cabinet meeting Tuesday.
Rumina Velshi, the former head of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC), expensed $288,000 to taxpayers for business trips between January 2022 and July 2023. Velshi left the organization in October. Velshi travelled frequently to Europe, the United States and within Canada, namely between Ottawa and Toronto, during that period, with 14 trips costing over $10,000 to the public coffers. She also expensed a trip to Dubai for the Atlantic Council Global Energy Forum from March 25 to April 1, including over $12,000 just for her airfare. In October of last year, Velshi expensed $8,228.96 for a trip to Wyoming from Oct. 5 to Oct