The Senate Agriculture committee chairperson refused to comment on a costly trip to Italy that caused concern among other senators. .According to Blacklock’s Reporter, Sen. Robert Black (ON) submitted a budget of $66,940 to take a group of four to Italy in July to study “soil conditions in Canada.”.“Europe is astronomically expensive at that time of the year,” Sen. Donald Plett (MB) told the Senate Internal Economy committee. .“The Agriculture committee was given some very clear instructions to bring the costs of their flights down in different ways.”.The Senate Agriculture committee wants to send two senators and two aides to Rome in mid-July to visit the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. .The proposed budget for the trip includes $42,600 for transportation, $13,120 for four nights of hotel accommodation at a rate of $820 per night, $2,800 for taxis in Rome, and $2,000 for meals..Black, appointed to the Senate in 2018 and previously served as the Canadian 4-H Council president, did not answer questions regarding the proposed trip to Rome. He also did not disclose which senators would be travelling or why business class travel is required..“Wouldn’t that create a precedent for a Senate committee to go to a United Nations meeting?” asked Sen. Raymonde Saint-Germain (QC). .“I am wondering about the expenditure.”.Sen. Peter Boehm (ON), chair of the Foreign Affairs committee, said flying business class was unacceptable. .“I think we all need to keep a very close eye on expenses,” said Boehm..“Airfares have increased exponentially certainly during peak periods to Europe and that is the summertime,” said Boehm. He added senators should be “putting a threshold on the top” of expenses..“We are actually looking at reducing costs by not endorsing a business class proposal for senators or, if they want, they can use their own points and top it up or whatever,” said Boehm. .“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.”.The Agriculture committee sought budget approval for the Roman junket as part of a two-year study of “current soil conditions in Canada and possible federal measures that would support and enhance agricultural and forest soil health,” according to a 2022 Senate motion..So far, the committee budgeted $308,637 toward travel expenses for their soil health study, which includes flights for “fact-finding” trips to Calgary, Saskatoon, and Guelph, as well as attendance at the World Congress on Soil Science in Glasgow last year. Five senators and staff spent a week in Scotland for the purpose..“One thing has become very clear: Improving soil health is not a one-size-fits-all endeavour across the country,” Black told legislators on April 19. .“I hope this study will assist with food insecurity and help support our agricultural industry along with other industries that rely on soil health. That’s why it’s important that the committee continues its work to engage in the soil health study.”
