The hunt for vacationing politicians is still on.CBC said they are contacting every sitting member of the Senate to inquire about their foreign travel after a number of politicians came in for criticism for ignoring advisories to avoid all non-essential travel..Of the 93 senate members, 2 did not respond to requests for information regarding their whereabouts during the holiday season..Interim leader of the Canadian Senators Group (CSG) Sen. Scott Tannas of Alberta and Deputy leader Quebec Sen. Josée Verner neglected to respond to requests for information..The CSG is a body of 11 senators formed in 2019 to better represent regional concerns across Canada – such as the passage of C-48, the legislation that bans oil tankers in northern B.C. – and C-69, the legislation that overhauls Canada’s environmental assessment process, seen by many in Western Canada as anti-pipeline..CBC investigated land title records in Hawaii, and determined that Tannas owns a timeshare property there..The CSG’s liaison, P.E.I. Sen. Percy Downe, could not say whether the other members had left the country..“As you probably know, the CSG members in the Senate are completely independent, and our group does not whip votes or our members. Therefore, they are not required to advise how they intend to vote on any legislation, and in that spirit of independence, do not advise or seek permission to travel,” it was reported..Two other members of the CSG said that they travelled abroad over the Christmas break..A spokesperson for Quebec Sen. Jean-Guy Dagenais said Monday the senator is currently in Florida and will return to Canada sometime this week once essential repairs to a seasonal property are finished..Another CSG senator, Ontario Sen. Vern White, is also currently overseas..“Yes, I have travelled to Finland with my family to visit my spouse’s parents,” White told CBC..Manitoba Sen. Don Plett, the Conservative leader in the Senate, also spent part of the Christmas holidays in Mexico. Last week, a Conservative spokesperson said the senator was “following the 14 days quarantine guidelines after having travelled briefly to Mexico on personal travel.”.There is currently no federal restriction prohibiting travel abroad..The Public Health Advisory Canada (PHAC) advises against non-essential international travel, “Canadian citizens and permanent residents are advised to avoid all non-essential travel outside of Canada until further notice to limit the spread of COVID-19.”.Ken Grafton is the Western Standards Ottawa Bureau Chief. He can be reached at kgrafton@westernstandardonline.com
The hunt for vacationing politicians is still on.CBC said they are contacting every sitting member of the Senate to inquire about their foreign travel after a number of politicians came in for criticism for ignoring advisories to avoid all non-essential travel..Of the 93 senate members, 2 did not respond to requests for information regarding their whereabouts during the holiday season..Interim leader of the Canadian Senators Group (CSG) Sen. Scott Tannas of Alberta and Deputy leader Quebec Sen. Josée Verner neglected to respond to requests for information..The CSG is a body of 11 senators formed in 2019 to better represent regional concerns across Canada – such as the passage of C-48, the legislation that bans oil tankers in northern B.C. – and C-69, the legislation that overhauls Canada’s environmental assessment process, seen by many in Western Canada as anti-pipeline..CBC investigated land title records in Hawaii, and determined that Tannas owns a timeshare property there..The CSG’s liaison, P.E.I. Sen. Percy Downe, could not say whether the other members had left the country..“As you probably know, the CSG members in the Senate are completely independent, and our group does not whip votes or our members. Therefore, they are not required to advise how they intend to vote on any legislation, and in that spirit of independence, do not advise or seek permission to travel,” it was reported..Two other members of the CSG said that they travelled abroad over the Christmas break..A spokesperson for Quebec Sen. Jean-Guy Dagenais said Monday the senator is currently in Florida and will return to Canada sometime this week once essential repairs to a seasonal property are finished..Another CSG senator, Ontario Sen. Vern White, is also currently overseas..“Yes, I have travelled to Finland with my family to visit my spouse’s parents,” White told CBC..Manitoba Sen. Don Plett, the Conservative leader in the Senate, also spent part of the Christmas holidays in Mexico. Last week, a Conservative spokesperson said the senator was “following the 14 days quarantine guidelines after having travelled briefly to Mexico on personal travel.”.There is currently no federal restriction prohibiting travel abroad..The Public Health Advisory Canada (PHAC) advises against non-essential international travel, “Canadian citizens and permanent residents are advised to avoid all non-essential travel outside of Canada until further notice to limit the spread of COVID-19.”.Ken Grafton is the Western Standards Ottawa Bureau Chief. He can be reached at kgrafton@westernstandardonline.com
