Canadian senators are costing taxpayers extensive amounts for overseas trips even though Members of Parliament are regularly representing Canada on the same trips, according to the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.
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Members → cost → Federation
A national overview of province-by-province senator overseas travel, released by the CTF this week, states that international trips undertaken between Jan. 16, 2023 and March 17, 2026 by 65 senators cost Canadian taxpayers $1,850,420.
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trips → release → 1,850,420
Overall, says the CTF, senators have nearly doubled their international travel spending in the last two years, with the costs climbing 88 per cent from $391,095 in 2023 to $736,165 in 2025, according to its analysis of parliamentary financial disclosures.
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costs → say → disclosures
The CTF takes the position that senators are unelected and as such should not be travelling anywhere outside of the country on the taxpayers’ tab.
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senators → take → tab
“Nobody votes for senators so these people represent exactly nobody,” said Kris Sims, spokesperson for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation in an email to National Post.
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Sims → vote → Post
Ontario Senator Salma Ataullahjan‘s international travel topped the CTF list, totalling $131,706 between January 2023 and March 2026 for 14 overseas trips.
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travel → top → trips
The CTF says Ataullahjan travelled to Mozambique, Botswana, Switzerland twice, Uzbekistan, the United States, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Angola, Costa Rica, Ghana, the Dominican Republic, Chile, Bahrain, Senegal and Cabo Verde.
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Ataullahjan → say → Mozambique
Senator Salma Ataullahjan speak to refugees in St-Laurent, Quebec on May 31, 2016.
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Ataullahjan → speak → May
Otherwise, looking at the CTF’s top Senate travellers on a per province basis across the rest of the country, Nova Scotia Senator Michael MacDonald took 17 trips abroad costing $85,000.
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MacDonald → look → 85,000
B.C. Senator Margo Greenwood went onon 11 trips abroad costing more than $80,000, then P.E.I. Senator Percy Downe ($67,000), New Brunswick Senator René Cormier ($64,000), Manitoba Senator Gigi Osler ($61,000), former Saskatchewan Senator Brent Cotter ($19,000) and on the lower end, Alberta Senator Scott Tannas ($10,795).
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Greenwood → go → end
(Terrazzo told National Post in an email that the organization is holding off on a report about Quebec senators until after that province’s election on Monday.)
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organization → tell → Monday
Ataullahjan’s office responded to National Post with an emailed statement on Thursday, noting that the CTF’s “characterization of these expenses as having been incurred or billed by the Senator (is) not accurate.
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characterization → respond → Senator
These are costs incurred by Parliament and administered by parliamentary personnel in the execution of parliamentary association responsibilities.”
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These → incur → responsibilities
The statement said that the parliamentarians, which includes both MPs and senators, “selected to participate in these activities do not control or authorize these expenses.”
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which → say → expenses
Further, the statement noted that “Senate expense rules do not permit Senators to undertake international travel in their capacity as Senators.
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rules → note → Senators
Senators travel internationally when selected to do so in their capacity as members of a parliamentary association or, on rare occasions, a committee.”
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Senators → travel → occasions
Sims said the “senators are absolutely spending taxpayers’ money on international trips, regardless of what label is being put on their travelling entourage.
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label → say → entourage
If senators are upset by being held accountable for this expenditure of taxpayers’ money, they can refuse to go on any international trips.”
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they → upset → trips
The CTF analysis points out that taxpayers paid $173,041 for seven trips by senators to be “observers” to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), where Canada is not a member.
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Canada → point → Europe
Therefore, senators travelled to meetings as observers, where they could only speak with permission.
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they → travel → permission
Sometimes, says the CTF, the senators simply submitted written speeches instead of participating in the proceedings.
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senators → say → proceedings
Further, PACE sessions are live-streamed and viewable from anywhere in the world.
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sessions → stream → world
Meanwhile, Canadian MPs were also at these sessions representing Canada.
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MPs → represent → Canada
Some senators incurred costs for international trips to attend meetings that were also held by videoconference, according to the CTF.
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that → incur → CTF
For example, it says Manitoba Senator Gigi Osler went to New York in 2023 and 2024 to attend parliamentary meetings.
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Osler → say → meetings
During the 2023 trip, Osler discussed the benefits of hybrid parliamentary sittings.
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Osler → discuss → sittings
The same parliamentary group regularly holds meetings and workshops by videoconference.
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group → hold → videoconference
Osler went in person both times, costing taxpayers $4,677.
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Osler → go → 4,677
Nova Scotia Senator Michael MacDonald cost taxpayers $2,869 to attend the Canadian Embassy’s Trump inauguration event, even though Parliament sent three MPs.
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Parliament → cost → MPs
The delegation watched the proceedings from the Canadian embassy on a live-stream, says the CTF.
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CTF → watch → stream
Former Saskatchewan senator Brent Cotter cost taxpayers $7,694 for a six-day European trip, though Parliament also sent three elected MPs.
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Parliament → cost → MPs
Cotter and the delegation arrived in Tallinn, Estonia, on a Sunday when no officials “were available” to meet with them, notes the CTF.
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CTF → arrive → them
So they visited “important landmarks in the city.”
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they → visit → city
Senators René Cormier, Percy Downe and Michael MacDonald went on a $76,236 trip to Argentina and Uruguay, along with elected MP.
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Cormier → go → MP
Parliament did not release a report on the trip, says the CTF.
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CTF → release → trip
However, it says Argentinian records identify MP Richard Cannings as speaking on behalf of the Canadian delegation during a meeting with Argentine lawmakers.
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records → say → lawmakers
No remarks were attributed to any of the senators, according to CTF.
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remarks → attribute → CTF
Ataullahjan cost taxpayers $12,887 for a trip to Cabo Verde and Senegal.
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Ataullahjan → cost → Verde
Four other senators, René Cormier, Amina Gerba, Manuelle Oudar and Rebecca Patterson, went on the same trip.
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senators → go → trip
The whole delegation cost $95,795.
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delegation → cost → 95,795
…and 7 more, not listed.
The Aporia
