Peter MacKinnon, former president of the University of Saskatchewan, spent a substantial $92,000 in travel expenses in 2012 — more than any other university president. In previous years, MacKinnon has travelled to India, the UK, and Brazil with his wife, Janice, as part of his travelling responsibilities. The chair of the university board justified these high costs, explaining that if there was a way to reduce the cost while performing his work equally effectively, he would have considered these alternatives. In comparison, U of T’s president David Naylor spent $47,000 in travel expenses, half of MacKinnon’s expenses. The current president of the University of Saskatchewan, Ilene Busch-Vishniac, also defended MacKinnon — saying that putting a limit on travel expenses would not make logistical sense. Busch-Vishniac claimed it would put constraints on the presidents’ daily actions, and make it harder to complete their work.
With files from CBC News
