- Raymonde Gagné and her travelling companions have billed taxpayers $875,677 for international travel since she took on the role in 2023, according to financial records reviewed by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF).
- The figure covers at least 14 trips abroad and does not include recent travel to Chile, Tunisia and the Netherlands, meaning the true total is higher, the CTF said.
- Gagné, a Manitoba senator, was named Speaker of the Senate by then-prime minister Justin Trudeau in May 2023.
- The most recent expense records relate to a trip in which Gagné met briefly with Japan's state minister for foreign affairs, Horii Iwao. The meeting lasted about 45 minutes and cost $107,594.
- A March 2025 trip to Spain and the UK, which included a meeting with King Charles III, cost $105,156.
- A 2024 trip to New Zealand, described in the records as involving 'business calls,' cost $118,965.
- CTF federal director Franco Terrazzano criticized the spending, stating that it is completely unacceptable for an unelected senator to travel abroad on taxpayers' money.
- Records show Gagné has also travelled to Switzerland, France, the United States, Belgium, Brazil, Romania, the Czech Republic and South Africa since becoming Speaker, along with trips inside Canada.
- The scrutiny of Senate travel spending comes amid separate reporting on Manitoba Senator Charles Adler, who was found to have billed taxpayers close to $43,000 for weekend flights between Ottawa and Winnipeg.
- Gagné has publicly expressed a love of travel, stating in a 2024 SenCA+ interview that she has visited about 30 countries on most continents.
Senate Speaker Raymonde Gagné has incurred nearly $1 million in travel expenses since her appointment in May 2023, with $875,677 attributed to at least 14 international trips, according to the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF).13
The CTF's analysis reveals that this figure does not include recent trips to Chile, Tunisia, and the Netherlands, suggesting the total could be even higher. Gagné's travels have included meetings with foreign officials, such as a 45-minute meeting with Japan's state minister for foreign affairs, costing taxpayers $107,594.24
Critics, including CTF federal director Franco Terrazzano, argue that as an unelected senator, Gagné should not be using taxpayer money for such trips. “If Gagné wants to make a courtesy call to a Japanese politician, then she should pick up the phone instead of billing taxpayers six figures,” he stated.7
Other notable expenses include a March 2025 trip to Spain and the UK, costing $105,156, and a 2024 trip to New Zealand for $118,965, which the CTF likened to a foreign senator visiting a Canadian tourist town. Gagné's entourage has included fellow senators and staff, raising further questions about the necessity of such expenditures.56
Terrazzano has called on Prime Minister Mark Carney to hold Gagné accountable and limit senators' foreign travel, emphasizing that they do not represent specific ridings.
“The CTF's Franco Terrazzano urged Prime Minister Mark Carney to hold Gagné accountable, noting senators are unelected and represent no constituency. The most recent trip, a 45-minute meeting with Japan's state minister, cost $107,594, with $92,000 for travel and $6,600 for accommodations.”
