Kristina Michaud tops MP travel spending list, reason Ottawa's location; check the other top spenders in the $32M bill

Time of India

16-05-2025

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Canadian Members of Parliament (MPs) spent a record $187.8 million in 2024, out of which $32 million went toward travel expenses, an increase of nearly $13 million from the year before. These costs include staff salaries, office operations, hospitality, and travel. Each MP spent about $547,000 on average, with 10 MPs crossing the $700,000 mark.Importantly, this $32 million in travel spending is mainly for domestic travel within Canada. It covers flights, accommodations, meals, and ground transport for MPs and their staff as they travel to and from Ottawa or around the country for parliamentary work. MPs representing distant or rural ridings tend to spend more. Foreign travel is rare, done only for official delegations or missions, and is reported separately.Among all MPs, Kristina Michaud of the Bloc Québécois, representing Avignon-La Mitis-Matane-Matapédia in Quebec, spent the most. Her total expenses reached $775,000, with $328,000 used for travel. Her large and remote riding in eastern Quebec explains the high travel costs, as reaching Ottawa often requires multiple connections.Frank Caputo, a Conservative MP from Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo in British Columbia, has spent over $2 million since 2021, including $492,537 just on travel. Representing a sprawling and remote area in interior B.C., Caputo's frequent trips to Ottawa are lengthy and expensive.Wilson Miao, a Liberal MP from Richmond Centre, B.C., also appeared among top spenders. In just the first half of 2023, he spent over $91,000 on travel. This raised eyebrows, as he represents an urban riding with easier access to Ottawa and holds no senior role. He also faced criticism for having the highest office renovation expenses in 2021-22.NDP leader Jagmeet Singh, who represents Burnaby South, was the biggest spender among MP office budgets during the first three quarters of 2023-24. He used nearly all of his $535,640 allocation. As party leader, Singh travels widely across the country to support his caucus and meet voters.Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, MP for Carleton, spent more than $1.1 million, including about $126,900 on travel. As Leader of the Official Opposition, his travel demands are high, requiring frequent appearances across provinces and in Parliament.While travel is necessary to serve constituents and perform parliamentary duties, experts say rising costs have contributed to more spending. Some loopholes and more fiscal responsibility still need to be addressed.