Senate speaker’s overseas trips cost taxpayers nearly $1 million, watchdog says
The Canadian Taxpayers Federation reports that Senate speaker Raymonde Gagné has billed almost $875,677 to public funds for at least 14 foreign trips since her 2023 appointment.
According to the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Senate speaker Raymonde Gagné has charged taxpayers $875,677 for at least 14 overseas trips since being appointed by former prime minister Justin Trudeau in May 2023. The trips, which included visits to Japan, Spain, the United Kingdom and other countries, were taken with a seven-person entourage that featured fellow senators Fabian Manning, Raymonde Saint-Germain and Duncan Wilson, two staff members and a person listed as Gagné’s spouse.
The federation points out that costs for recent trips to Chile, Tunisia and the Netherlands are not captured in the available records, suggesting the total spend is higher. CTF federal director Franco Terrazzano criticized the use of public money for “courtesy calls” and urged Prime Minister Mark Carney to hold Gagné accountable. The report also highlighted a March 2025 visit that included an audience with King Charles III and a photo-op with the mayor of Rotorua Lakes, questioning the relevance of such engagements for an unelected official.
Why it matters
Taxpayers are funding extensive foreign travel by an unelected senator, raising concerns about government spending accountability.
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