Unelected senators are billing taxpayers for trips around the world, even though elected members of Parliament are often already on the same trips. 

 

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation’s analysis also found unelected senators travelled for meetings that they could have attended virtually and even submitted written speeches instead of actually standing up and delivering the remarks.

 

“Hardworking people never get to vote for a senator in Canada, but their taxes pay for the outrageous globetrotting travel bills,” said Kris Sims, CTF spokesperson. “Senators don’t represent Canadians and have no actual responsibilities or influence so there’s no reason for them to be meeting with officials in other countries.”

 

One of the senators’ favourite destinations was Strasbourg, France, where they travelled to “observe” meetings where they cannot vote and can only speak with permission. On some occasions, senators went to the meetings in person, but just submitted written speeches instead of actually participating in the proceedings.

 

Even though MPs were already there representing Canada at each of those meetings, Senators David Wells, Percy Downe, Brian Francis, Margo Greenwood, Gigi Osler, Claude Carignan, Scott Tannas, Gwen Boniface and Lucie Moncion all made at least one trip to attend Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe meetings. Canada is not a member of the council. 

 

Sometimes senators didn’t participate in debates or even deliver a speech, written or otherwise, during trips to France. For example, Tannas did not deliver or submit a speech during PACE meetings on his $4,545 trip to Strasbourg in April 2024. He asked one question at a separate meeting, according to Parliament’s post-trip report.

 

Wells spent $7,030 travelling to France for a PACE meeting in 2023. He submitted two speeches in writing, but did not deliver either from the floor, according to PACE’s published transcripts. Wells could have submitted those speeches without travelling to Strasbourg.

 

PACE sessions are also live-streamed and viewable online from anywhere in the world. Yet, senators billed taxpayers $173,041 on seven trips to be “observers” at these meetings.

 

Senators nearly doubled their international travel spending in two years, with costs spiking 88 per cent from $391,095 in 2023 to $736,165 in 2025, according to a Canadian Taxpayers Federation analysis of parliamentary financial disclosures.

 

A total of 65 unelected senators spent $1,850,420 taxpayer dollars on international travel between Jan. 16, 2023 and March 17, 2026, the records show.

 

“It’s hard to imagine why senators had to spend thousands of dollars to attend a meeting in person when they didn’t even bother to stand up and deliver their speeches,” Sims said. “It’s a good bet that nobody actually read these speeches so there’s no reason that taxpayers should have had to pay for any of it.”

 

Some senators routinely billed taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars for international trips to attend meetings that were also held by videoconference. Others toured a city’s “important landmarks,” enjoyed a “privileged view” of the sea, stayed in costly accommodation and spent thousands on hospitality.

 

Manitoba Senator Gigi Osler went to New York in 2023 and 2024 to attend parliamentary meetings. During the 2023 trip, Osler discussed the benefits of hybrid parliamentary sittings. The same parliamentary group regularly holds meetings and workshops by videoconference. Osler went in person both times and billed taxpayers $4,677.

 

Quebec Senator Éric Forest billed taxpayers $33,537 for trips to Paris, Geneva and Luxembourg for meetings related to reforming rules of a French-language parliamentary assembly. The APF also holds meetings by videoconference.

 

Nova Scotia Senator Michael MacDonald billed taxpayers $2,869 to attend the Canadian Embassy’s Trump inauguration event, even though Parliament sent three MPs, John McKay, James Maloney and Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay. They watched the proceedings from the Canadian embassy on a live-stream of the inauguration on large screens while they snacked on beaver tails.

 

Former Saskatchewan senator Brent Cotter billed taxpayers $7,694 for a six-day European trip. Parliament also sent three elected MPs, Stéphane Bergeron, Pam Damoff and Viviane Lapointe. Cotter and the delegation arrived in Tallinn, Estonia, on a Sunday when no officials “were available” to meet with them. So they toured “important landmarks in the city.”

 

Senators René Cormier, Percy Downe and Michael MacDonald went on a $76,236 trip to Argentina and Uruguay, along with elected MP Richard Cannings. Parliament did not release a report on the trip. However, Argentina’s government records identify MP Cannings speaking on behalf of the Canadian delegation during a meeting with Argentine lawmakers. The records do not attribute remarks to any of the senators.

 

“This is the definition of privilege, being unelected and unaccountable and blowing other peoples’ money,” Sims said. “Elected MPs were already on almost all of these trips and they don’t need senators to carry their luggage. Senators already have enough entirely unnecessary work to do at home without racking up big travel bills.”

 

Quebec Senator Clément Gignac billed taxpayers $41,317 for two five-day trips to China. His delegation visited international schools and Alibaba, rode in a self-driving car, watched humanoid robot demonstrations and met with Cirque du Soleil China.

 

Senator Michael MacDonald billed taxpayers $5,023 for accommodation alone during a four-day conference in Jackson, Wyoming.

 

A $65,026 delegation including Senators Salma Ataullahjan and Mobina Jaffer spent $1,171 on lunch for 10 people at the Factory Steak & Lobster Restaurant in the Dominican Republic. That’s $117 per person.

 

A $57,629 Brussels delegation, including Senators Claude Carignan, Brent Cotter, Clément Gignac and Rebecca Patterson, spent $2,028 on dinner for 13 people at Lola Restaurant. That works out to $156 per person.

 

Senators Claude Carignan, Margo Greenwood and Gigi Osler were part of a $61,400 trip to Strasbourg. They billed taxpayers $171 for “maple syrup and candies” from the Parliamentary Boutique.

 

Ontario Senator Salma Ataullahjan was the biggest spender in the Senate. She billed taxpayers $131,706 for international travel, including a $12,887 trip to Cabo Verde and Senegal. Four other senators, René Cormier, Amina Gerba, Manuelle Oudar and Rebecca Patterson, went on the same trip.

 

The whole delegation cost $95,795. Canada only exports about $2.4 million worth of goods annually to Cabo Verde. That’s about 0.0003 per cent of Canada’s exports.

 

Newfoundland and Labrador Senator David Wells was second at $120,389, including $31,148 for four trips to Vienna. Nova Scotia Senator Michael MacDonald was third at $85,025.

    

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Mark Carney told Canadians his government “will work relentlessly to cut waste.” The Carney government ordered departments to find savings of up to 15 per cent.

 

“Our government will work relentlessly to cut waste and drive efficiencies,” Carney said ahead of Budget 2025.

 

This year, senators are on pace to surpass their 2025 international travel bill. Senators spent $197,006 by March 17.

 

 

 

Jen Hodgson is an Investigative Journalist for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.