Quebec Senator Amina Gerba undertook trips to Vancouver with her spouse for two intensive 20-hour English courses, totaling nearly $22,000. These trips, occurring in July of 2023 and 2024, were within the Senate’s travel regulations and were fully reimbursed. The couple attended the courses at Collège Éducacentre, with each session costing $1,521 in tuition fees.
The travel expenses, encompassing hotel stays, business-class flights, and daily allowances for the six-day visits, amounted to $9,064.30 in the initial year and $9,790.25 in the following year, all covered by taxpayers. Senator Gerba, representing the Rigaud division in Quebec, stated that she adhered to the Senate’s office management policy, which outlines the guidelines for senators’ travel and other expenses.
Senate members are entitled to reimbursement for official language training and associated travel costs. The Senate permits senators’ spouses to participate in the same courses and have their expenses reimbursed as well. Senator Raymonde Saint-Germain, a member of the Senate’s standing committee on internal economy, budgets, and administration (CIBA), expressed the view that the regulations concerning language training should be reevaluated.
Following inquiries into Gerba’s travel expenditures, it was revealed that the CIBA plans to review the rules governing English and French courses at an upcoming meeting. Saint-Germain emphasized the importance of bilingual proficiency but questioned whether it could be achieved more efficiently and at a lower cost, considering the public service context.
Gerba justified her husband’s presence during the trips as a means to maintain family balance without impeding her official duties. She emphasized the significance of traveling across the country she represents in fulfilling her responsibilities. Her stay in Vancouver was enriched by various parliamentary and professional activities, including discussions on a supply management bill and engagements with local business chambers and war veteran commemorations.
Bloc Québécois MP Christine Normandin and NDP MP Alexandre Boulerice criticized Gerba’s travel expenses as unjustified and suggested reimbursement. Normandin remarked that the trips seemed more like vacations due to the destination choice and luxury accommodations. Boulerice highlighted the availability of similar language courses in Montreal, closer to Gerba’s residence, questioning the necessity of the Vancouver trips.
Apart from language training, the Senate is also reviewing other types of travel, such as regional familiarization tours. Recent reports indicated discomfort among some senators regarding these tours, particularly those involving spouses. A survey distributed to all senators revealed a majority advocating for stricter regulations on such tours, with the standing committee expected to announce potential changes in the near future.
