PARLIAMENT HILL—As the government and opposition parties tangled over the past three weeks about massive spending cuts the Conservatives are planning, MPs and Senators quietly tabled documents reporting $277,160 they spent on 15 junkets abroad, including $19,154 for a six-day trip to Brazil by a Conservative MP, a Liberal Senator and a secretary.

The trips by members of 12 Parliamentary exchange associations, which have a total budget of $4.4-million annually, received little attention in the Commons and the Senate, even as daily Question Period was seized with opposition demands for more information about the programs and services that will eventually be on the government’s deficit-fighting chopping block.

But, with Parliamentarians from all parties taking part in the trips and exchanges unlikely to draw attention to the forays abroad, to destinations in Europe, North America and South America, a spokesman for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation said the longstanding tradition of exchanges and visits with other Parliamentarians and lawmakers should come under review.

“When you look at the overall picture, in terms of the large federal deficit, MPs need to look into their hearts, acknowledge that a lot of these trips aren’t necessary, and lead by example by cutting back on the costs for them,” CTF regional spokesperson Colin Craig told The Hill Times.

The costly visit to Curitaba, Brazil, by Conservative MP Randy Hoback (Prince Albert, Sask.) and Quebec Liberal Senator Céline Hervieux-Payette, took place in February 2010, although their report was not tabled for a year. Mr. Hoback and Sen. Hervieux-Payette were attending a meeting of the executive committee of the Inter-Parliamentary Forum of the Americas. The transportation bill was $15,618 for the two politicians and the association’s secretary, while hotels cost $1,813 and per diems totalled $1,360. The MP and Senator paid $52 for gifts and $309 on “miscellaneous” items.

Many of the other trips in this round, however, took place earlier this year, including one in the middle of the federal election campaign—a $30,057 trip to Warsaw, Poland and Strasbourg by P.E.I. Liberal Senator Percy Downe. Conservative Senator Michael MacDonald took part in the Warsaw portion of the excursion. The Senators were accompanied by a secretary and an adviser.

The transportation bill for the nine-day trip last April 11 to 20 came to $20,729, while hotels cost $5,956. Per Diems totalled $3,063 and the two, or Senator Downe, spent $307 on “official gifts.”

Green Party Leader Elizabeth May (Saanich-Gulf Islands, B.c.), new to the House of Commons, was not ready to denounce the trips at large, saying she believes Canadian taxpayers can benefit from an exchange with other Parliamentarians.

But she said Conservative MPs and Senators who take part in trips that appear wasteful should be ready to defend themselves as Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s (Calgary Southwest, Alta.) government prepares to lower the boom on federal programs and services.

She also believes the program should be subject to review by the federal Auditor General.

“I think a value for money audit is appropriate.” Ms. May told The Hill Times. “I don’t have a knee-jerk reaction against the idea that Members of Parliament and Senators can and should get benefit for taxpayers out of travel. I regret very much that this government killed programs that allowed Canadian artists to travel to other countries with their work.”

Ms. May, referring to cultural exchange programs the Harper government cut in 2008, added: “I think greater cultural exchanges would be healthy for Canadian diplomacy, it’s a great thing for Canadian artists for their work to be seen around the world. A lot of that money has been slashed. If they’re taking trips overseas, they had better be prepared to be subjected to scrutiny when a lot of programs that had a lot of benefit were cut by this government.”

NDP MP Françoise Boivin (Gatineau, Que.) defended the trips, saying they are worthwhile as long as they benefit the constituents of MPs.

“It’s always been my opinion that we always, every year, should review what’s been done. I do hope that all the associations when they decide to go somewhere, it’s for the benefit of their riding, your political role also,” Ms. Boivin said. “I joined the Canada-Israel Parliamentary Association to understand a bit more about the situation. Does it mean I want to travel all the time? No, I have so much to do here. That’s always been my view.”

The costliest trip among the 15 was a four-day voyage last Feb. 20 to 24, only a month before Mr. Harper called the federal election, by four Senators and four MPs to Brussels, Belgium and Paris, France.

The trip by members of the Canadian NATO Parliamentary Association, one of the most popular choices for MPs and Senators who sign up to the groups, cost taxpayers $63,017. That included $46,708 for transportation, $10,794 for hotels, $5,481 for per diems and $33 for miscellaneous expenditures.

Conservative MP Leon Benoit (Vegreville-Wainwright, Alta.) led the group, which included Conservative MP Blaine Calkins (Wetaskiwin, Alta.), Conservative MP Pierre Lemieux (Glengarry-Prescott-Russell, Ont.) and former Liberal MP Bonnie Crombie. Ms. Crombie lost her riding in the May 2 election to Conservative Brad Butt (Mississauga—Streetsville, Ont.).

Conservative Senators Raynell Andreychuk (Saskatchewan) and Pierre-Claude Nolin (Quebec) were on the delegation, along with Liberal Nova Scotia Senators Jane Cordy and Joseph Day.

Liberal MP David McGuinty (Ottawa South, Ont.) told The Hill Times he doesn’t know anything about the trips, a prized perk on Parliament Hill, since he has never gone on one.

“I don’t know what they do,” Mr. McGuinty said. “I’ve never participated. I think I signed up to one or two in order to vote for people who were seeking executive office, but I’ve never been to a meeting, I’ve never taken a trip, I’ve never taken an airline ticket, I’ve never had a phone call, I’ve never been briefed, I’ve never seen a report. I know nothing about them.”

tnaumetz@hilltimes.com
The Hill Times