Records show a junket to Rome in July by the Senate Agriculture Committee (SAC) cost taxpayers almost $45,000, according to Blacklock’s Reporter. “We understand this is a large expenditure for Canadians,” said Canadian Senators Group Sen. Robert Black (Ontario) in a speech to the Senate.However, Black said the trip was no holiday. Records show the SAC’s week in Italy cost $44,516. Expenses included $26,742 for airfare for four senators and two staffers. The SAC did not detail how it spent seven days in Rome. Black called it a “fact-finding mission to study the status of soil health in Canada.”“I keep my schedule booked solid with meetings while also adhering to my responsibilities here in the chamber and in committee,” he said. “This fact-finding mission will be no different.”To his colleagues travelling with him, he said they would look forward to a busy schedule packed full of meetings, tours and a soil conference. He did not respond to earlier questions. Other senators had warned him the Roman junket appeared indefensible. “Europe is astronomically expensive at that time of the year,” said Conservative Senate Leader Don Plett (Manitoba). “The agriculture committee was given some very clear instructions to bring the costs of their flights down in different ways.”Independent Senators Group Sen. Peter Boehm (Ontario) said flying business class was unacceptable. “I think we all need to keep a very close eye on expenses,” said Boehm.“Air fares have increased exponentially certainly during peak periods to Europe and that is the summertime.”With expenses, Boehm said senators should be “putting a threshold on the top.”“We are actually looking at reducing costs by not endorsing a business class proposal for senators or if they want that they can use their own points and top it up or whatever,” he said. “I’m just saying we should make it incumbent on committee chairs and committees to see just how much they can save, because that won’t be a good look.”Former speaker of the House of Commons Anthony Rota’s office said in August his $150,496 trip to Australia was uncommon, but necessary. READ MORE: Rota justifies $150,000 junket to South Pacific“It provides speakers with an opportunity to discuss procedural and administrative challenges,” said Rota’s spokesperson Amelie Crosson. “Speaker Rota attended this conference — the first in-person conference since 2020 — to deliver a keynote address and participate in discussions on topics such as technology, security, and training.”
