Overview
- CIBA approved changes Thursday that end reimbursement for spouses’ language classes and halt travel expense claims when a spouse accompanies a senator.
- Senators must obtain human resources pre-approval for language training and prioritize options in the Ottawa area or their home province.
- Officials noted free House of Commons language courses are available, and 16 senators used them last year.
- The rules shift followed Radio-Canada’s report that Sen. Amina Gerba’s two English-immersion trips to Vancouver totaled nearly $22,000, driven largely by travel including business-class fares.
- The committee will next review guidelines for regional familiarization trips after earlier reporting highlighted Alberta stops such as the Calgary Stampede and raised concerns about spouse attendance.