Subhead:Senators left Canadian taxpayers footing the bill as hospitality expenses from the unelected chamber jumped massively compared to last year.#
Canada’s Senate calls itself the chamber of “sober second thought,” but new expense records show taxpayers are footing the bill for booze, fine dining and even disco parties.
Expenses reviewed by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation show senators charged taxpayers $116,100 in hospitality spending last year, a 67% increase compared to the previous year.
“It’s probably hard for senators to provide that sober second thought when they’re spending thousands on booze,” said Franco Terrazzano, federal director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. “Taxpayers are going to be outraged when they see how unelected senators are milking their expenses.”
Since 2019, Senate spending includes $27,000 on alcohol purchased from the LCBO, SAQ, wineries and The Beer Store. Senators also spent thousands on gifts, including $1,600 at a Newfoundland distillery.
Fine dining also featured prominently in the expenses. Senators spent $20,500 across nine visits to Le St-Estèphe, an upscale French restaurant in Gatineau, Quebec.
