General

Top soldier racks up million-dollar private flight bill

Gen. Natynczyk flew to Grey Cup, Calgary Stampede and Caribbean on public dime

Canada’s Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Walt Natynczyk, has used government airplanes to fly to sporting events, galas and a family holiday in the Caribbean, according to CTV news. The media organization reported Natynczyk’s travels—on which the government spent more than $1 million—after filing an Access to Information request. In January 2010, Natynczyk took a government Challenger jet to meet up with his family in the Antilles after a ceremony at CFB Trenton caused him to miss an earlier flight. The cost was more than $92,000. He and his wife also flew in the same jet to-and-from the Calgary Stampede that year, at a cost of $200,000 before spending more than $120,000 in public money flying to the Grey Cup. The top soldier’s office told CTV that he tries to use commercial flights whenever he can, and that the private flights paid for by the government often take him to events where he is representing the Canadian Forces. Earlier this month, Natynczyk came out in support of former-General Andrew Leslie’s cost-saving report that aims to trim $1 billion from the defence budget.

CTV News

CBC News

 

 

 

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