Senators can’t charge taxpayers for spouse language lessons, travel anymore

The Senate will no longer reimburse senators for language training courses taken by their spouses. This change was approved yesterday during a Senate committee meeting focused on internal economy, budgets, and administration.

The revision follows a recent report by Radio-Canada revealing that Quebec Senator Amina Gerba billed taxpayers nearly $22,000 for two English-language training courses in Vancouver for herself and her husband, covering sessions in both 2023 and 2024.

Going forward, senators will be encouraged to either enroll in the free language courses offered by the House of Commons or attend classes within the National Capital Region or their home provinces.

During yesterday’s hearing, Senate officials shared that 16 senators took advantage of the free language courses last year. However, they did not disclose how many others traveled to participate in external classes.

Additionally, the committee passed a motion to impose a moratorium on reimbursing senators who bring their spouses along on duty travel. This move aims to ensure responsible use of public funds and transparency regarding travel expenses.
https://globalnews.ca/news/11463523/senate-canada-spouse-language-training-reimbursment/