A Prince Edward Island senator spent thousands of taxpayer dollars travelling to a conference where he wasn’t allowed to speak without permission and couldn’t vote because Canada isn’t even a member of the organization.

Senator Percy Downe is the highest-spending senator in P.E.I. and the eighth highest in Canada.

“Nobody on P.E.I. voted for Downe, but everybody on P.E.I. is paying for his trips abroad," said Devin Drover, Canadian Taxpayers Federation Atlantic Director and General Counsel. “Island taxpayers deserve better than to be used as a travel bank.”

Downe spent $67,200 on eight international trips between January 2023 and March 2026, according to records obtained by the CTF.

Downe travelled to Argentina, Uruguay, Armenia, Sweden, Romania, Ireland, France and Portugal.

Downe billed taxpayers $14,753 for two trips to Strasbourg, France, in 2023, to attend two sessions of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). Three elected MPs joined Downe across the two trips: Francesco Sorbara and Stéphane Bergeron in April, and Bergeron and Don Davies in June.

PACE sessions are also live-streamed and viewable online from anywhere in the world.

Canada is not a member of the Council of Europe. Canadian parliamentarians participate in its assembly as observers, where they can only speak with permission from the president, but cannot vote.

Downe delivered speeches on youth and the media and Belarusians in exile during the two trips. He also submitted several speeches that PACE records list as “undelivered,” including speeches on Turkey’s elections and Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Downe billed taxpayers $10,836 for a five-day trip to Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Montevideo, Uruguay, in March 2025. Parliament sent three senators and one elected MP, Richard Cannings. The entire trip cost $76,236. It spent $3,744 on hospitality, including a $1,794 dinner for 10 people.

Parliament did not release a report on the trip. However, Argentina’s government records identify Cannings speaking on behalf of the Canadian delegation during a meeting with Argentine lawmakers. The records do not attribute any remarks to Downe.

While in Uruguay, Canada’s ambassador hosted the delegation for a reception at her residence, “with a privileged view of the sea.”

Downe billed taxpayers $35,737 for four trips to Armenia, Romania, Ireland and Portugal to attend meetings of a European parliamentary assembly. Parliament also sent elected MPs to all four meetings. Hedy Fry and Kristina Michaud went to Armenia, Fry, Pam Damoff, Annie Koutrakis and Michaud went to Romania, Charlie Angus and Michaud went to Ireland, and Fry, Darren Fisher, Marilène Gill, Koutrakis, Rob Morrison and Pierre Paul-Hus went to Portugal.

“What did Islanders get for $67,000 and why did MPs need them to go along on their trips?” Drover said. “The Senate should ground these junkets until somebody can show taxpayers what they’re getting for the money.”

Senator Brian Francis was P.E.I.’s second-highest-spending senator. He billed taxpayers $54,605 for eight international trips, plus $660 in expenses related to a cancelled trip to France. Francis travelled to France five times and also visited Slovenia and New York.

P.E.I. senators billed taxpayers $124,702 for international travel between January 2023 and March 2026, according to the records.