Canada’s chief science advisor, Dr. Mona Nemer, attempted to charge taxpayers thousands of dollars for expenses connected to a stay in Paris that federal officials questioned as personal travel, according to newly released Access to Information records.The documents, obtained by Blacklock’s Reporter, show Department of Industry officials challenged a $6,708 expense claim submitted following an international trip in early 2025.Nemer eventually withdrew claims for meals, incidentals and private accommodations associated with the disputed portions of the trip.“We have a situation,” a department employee wrote in a March 7, 2025 email.Officials described Nemer’s expenses as “a bit unusual” and demanded assurances they complied with Treasury Board guidelines before approving payment.The controversy involved a trip between January 25 and February 11, 2025, during which Nemer attended meetings in Cape Town, South Africa, and London, England.She had been invited to a conference organized by the International Pandemic Preparedness Secretariat in Cape Town and a meeting involving the British Heart Foundation in London.According to the records, two non-governmental organizations covered her flights, train travel, hotel accommodations and meals during scheduled meetings.However, federal officials questioned why Nemer spent several days in Paris before and between those engagements.“The first business meetings of the traveler were scheduled for January 28 in Cape Town, South Africa,” staff wrote.“However they departed from Montréal on January 25 and spent the following days in Paris.”Blacklock's Reporter said the documents indicated no official meetings were scheduled during the initial Paris stop..Nemer’s executive assistant told officials she used the time to settle in and catch up on government emails, telephone calls and other work.After completing her meetings in Cape Town, Nemer returned to Paris on February 2, despite her next scheduled business engagements not taking place until February 5 in London.“The presence of the traveler in Paris does not appear to have been required,” department staff concluded.Officials also noted that although the deputy minister had approved the international trip, the detailed itinerary had not been provided when authorization was granted.“The trip was from January 25 to February 11, 2025,” staff wrote.“This international trip was approved by the deputy minister with all locations included in the approval, but the specific itinerary was not shared with the deputy minister at the time of approval.”The department subsequently contacted Nemer’s chief of staff, Luc Gauthier, about the questionable expenses.“We consulted Dr. Nemer’s chief of staff, Luc Gauthier,” officials wrote in a March 25, 2025 email.“He confirmed we can process the reimbursement by removing the meals, incidentals and private accommodations for these sections of the trip.”The records also identified concerns involving other expenses submitted by Nemer..One involved a $350 ticket to attend a Royal Society of Canada gala in Montréal on November 15, 2025.The event was advertised as an evening of fine dining, but department officials questioned whether taxpayers should cover the full ticket price.“This amount seems excessive,” one employee wrote.“The maximum allowed per person for dinner is $159 so the Minister’s approval will be necessary.”Another expense involved a $3,100 hotel stay in Vancouver in May 2025.Nemer's accommodation cost $399 per night, exceeding the department's $317 nightly limit under its travel directive.“Vancouver hotel rates are high,” a staff memorandum stated.The newly disclosed records also revealed Nemer had been granted special travel privileges by cabinet in 2019.The authorization allowed her to travel internationally without seeking individual approvals for each trip, even as other federal managers faced instructions to reduce expenses.The documents did not explain why Nemer received the blanket travel authority.According to the records, her cumulative travel billings through 2025 reached $415,835.Nemer was appointed Canada's chief science advisor in 2017 under former prime minister Justin Trudeau.The records establish that officials challenged several expenses and that the disputed Paris-related claims were removed. They do not establish that taxpayers ultimately paid for those personal expenses.
