The federal government will no longer cover moving costs for retiring members of the Canadian military who are relocating within a 40-kilometre radius.
The relocation policy change comes after Gen. Andrew Leslie, one of Canada’s most high-profile military leaders, claimed more than $72,000 in expenses for a 2012 move from his Ottawa home to another residence in the city after he retired.
Critics said Leslie’s expenses, which included real estate fees, were outrageous, especially at a time when Ottawa was closing Veterans Affairs offices due to budget cuts.
Leslie retired from the military in 2011, but Canadian Forces members are entitled to expense one last move after they retire.
Following a review, the government decided to amend the relocation policy “to apply only to members moving outside a 40-km radius within a one-year period following their retirement,” the Department of National Defence said in a statementTuesday.
“This change will better align the IPR policy with those of other federal government departments and agencies such as the RCMP,” the department said.
The DND will make “compassionate exceptions for medical reasons and extenuating personal circumstances,” the statement said.
In thestatement, National Defence Minister Rob Nicholson said the Conservative government is “committed to ensuring respect for the hard-earned dollars of Canadian taxpayers while also providing our retiring CAF members with a way home following their military service.”
“A move down the road or within close vicinity is not defensible to taxpayers,” he said.
