Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s workplace is clarifying that he and his household are vacationing in Jamaica “for gratis at a location owned by household mates,” after initially saying the household was paying for his or her keep.
The Prime Minister’s Workplace mentioned in a press release on Wednesday that the federal ethics commissioner was consulted “on these particulars previous to the journey to make sure that the foundations had been adopted.”
The workplace provided the clarification the day earlier than Trudeau’s vacation on the Caribbean island is about to conclude. He’s there with Sophie Gregoire Trudeau and their three youngsters.
The pair introduced final summer season that they had been separating after 18 years of marriage, with each saying in separate statements that they might stay shut.
Earlier than the household left for Jamaica on Boxing Day, Trudeau’s workplace mentioned it consulted with the ethics commissioner and the household would cowl the price of their keep and reimburse the general public for the price of travelling on a authorities aircraft.
“The prime minister continues to reimburse the equal of a industrial airline ticket for his private journey and that of his household,” his workplace mentioned on Wednesday.
Officers declined to substantiate the place Trudeau is staying.
However CBC and Radio-Canada reported final spring that through the household’s final New Yr’s journey to Jamaica, they stayed at a luxurious property owned by Peter Inexperienced, whose household has identified the Trudeaus for many years.
On the time, the PMO declined to say whether or not Trudeau paid for his personal lodging out of pocket.
Conservative Celebration Chief Pierre Poilievre pressed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to state how a lot his household trip to Jamaica value.
Bahamas trip violated guidelines
Trudeau’s journey to the Aga Khan’s personal island within the Bahamas following Christmas Day in 2016 landed him with a ethics violation for crossing conflict-of-interest guidelines.
Former commissioner Mary Dawson dominated that Trudeau’s trip broke the regulation prohibiting ministers from accepting items or “benefits” that may very well be perceived as making an attempt to affect authorities enterprise.
She concluded that the exception that applies if the reward comes from a pal didn’t apply in that case. Trudeau and the Aga Khan, a pal of his father’s, had had little to no contact within the 30 years earlier than his election as Liberal celebration chief.
A spokesperson for the Workplace of the Battle of Curiosity and Ethics Commissioner mentioned on Wednesday that it couldn’t disclose particulars about what data Trudeau’s workplace supplied concerning the journey, citing the privateness necessities inked into the conflict-of-interest guidelines.
“The workplace has a job solely in making certain that the reward provisions of the act and code are noticed,” Jocelyne Brisebois mentioned in a written assertion.
“Notice that there’s an exception within the act that permits a public officer holder to simply accept items or different benefits given by a relative or pal and any such items don’t require public disclosure.”
