Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s office initially said his family was paying for their stay, but now it has been revealed that Trudeau and his family are vacationing in Jamaica “free of charge at a location owned by a family friend.” I made it.
The Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement on Wednesday that it had discussed these details with the Federal Ethics Commission “prior to the trip to ensure that the rules were complied with.”
The office made the briefing the day before Trudeau’s vacation on the Caribbean island ended. He is there with Sophie Grégoire Trudeau and their three children.
The two announced last summer that they were separating after 18 years of marriage, with both saying in separate statements that they remained close.
Prime Minister Trudeau’s office announced on Boxing Day that the family would consult with the Ethics Commission before departing for Jamaica, that the family would pay for their stay, and that citizens would be reimbursed for their travel on a government plane.
“The Prime Minister continues to provide refunds for the equivalent of commercial airline tickets for personal and family travel,” Downing Street said in a statement on Wednesday.
Officials declined to confirm where Trudeau was staying.
However, CBC and Radio-Canada reported last spring that during the family’s New Year’s trip to Jamaica, they stayed at a luxury mansion owned by Peter Green, who has known the Trudeaus for decades.
At the time, the PMO declined to say whether Trudeau paid for his stay out of his own pocket.
Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poièvre has pressed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to reveal how much a family trip to Jamaica will cost.
Vacationing in the Bahamas is against the rules
After Christmas in 2016, Prime Minister Trudeau was charged with ethics violations for violating conflict of interest regulations when he visited the Aga Khan’s private island in the Bahamas.
Former commissioner Mary Dawson ruled that Trudeau’s leave of absence violated a law that prohibits ministers from accepting gifts or “favors” deemed to be an attempt to influence government business. .
She concluded that the exception that applies if the gift is from a friend does not apply in that case. Trudeau and his father’s friend, the Aga Khan, had little contact for 30 years before he was elected leader of the Liberal Party.
A spokeswoman for the Conflicts of Interest and Ethics Commission said Wednesday that she could not provide details about what information Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s office had provided about the trip, citing privacy requirements contained in conflict of interest rules. said.
“The role of our office is solely to ensure that the gift provisions of the law and code are complied with,” Jocelyn Brisebois said in a written statement.
“Please note that there are exceptions to this law that allow civil service holders to receive gifts or other benefits from relatives or friends, and such gifts do not have to be made public.”
