Trudeau’s Jamaica family trip is facing new scrutiny. Here’s how much it cost – National | 24CA News
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s week-long household trip in Jamaica over the winter holidays price taxpayers a minimum of $162,000, and is drawing criticism that it exhibits he doesn’t “understand the realities of everyday Canadians” from NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh.
The particulars of Trudeau’s journey had been launched in paperwork tabled within the House of Commons final month in response to questions from MPs, however are underneath renewed scrutiny following a report by CBC/Radio-Canada on Tuesday.
The outlet reported the Trudeau household stayed at an expensive property belonging to a rich household good friend who made a big donation two years in the past to the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation.
Global News has confirmed the prices of the journey however not the main points reported by CBC/Radio-Canada across the proprietor of the property or their donation historical past to the muse.
“It’s not about, in my mind, it’s not about whether the commissioner approved it or whether there’s an ethics issue here,” mentioned Singh, pointing to the difficulties confronted by Canadians who can’t afford personal well being companies or who’re combating the price of housing.
“What this vacation shows is another example of a prime minister who doesn’t understand the realities of everyday Canadians, hasn’t lived those struggles, and is not willing to use every power, every tool at his disposal to fix those problems.”
The Prime Minister’s Office didn’t reply whether or not the journey was on the property of Peter Green, as reported by CBC/Radio-Canada on Tuesday. It wouldn’t say whether or not Trudeau declared this journey as a present underneath the battle of curiosity act or the code for MPs.
“As per standard practice, we consulted with the Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner to ensure that the rules are followed,” mentioned a spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office on Tuesday.
“The Prime Minister reimbursed the equivalent of a commercial airline ticket for his personal travel and that of his family.”
The workplace of the battle of curiosity and ethics commissioner mentioned it couldn’t touch upon any issues involving people topic to the Conflict of Interest Act or the battle of curiosity code for MPs.
“The Commissioner does not approve regulatees’ vacations. The Office has a role only when the travel or stay could be considered a gift or other advantage under the Act or a gift or other benefit under the Code,” the workplace informed Global News.
“In cases where a trip or stay is a gift, the regulatee must declare it under the Act or the Code and the Office can rule on its acceptability.”
The deadline for declaring a present underneath the Conflict of Interest Act is 30 days, and 60 days underneath the battle of curiosity code for MPs. All declarations are posted on the general public registry.
The Trudeau Foundation has been mired in controversy over its dealing with of a $200,000 donation with alleged ties to Beijing. The Communist regime in China has been the topic of allegations of tried international interference in Canadian society and elections, as reported by Global News and the Globe and Mail over latest months.
The basis was named in a February report by the Globe that detailed an alleged plot by the Chinese authorities to affect Trudeau after he grew to become Liberal chief in 2014. The prime minister has repeatedly mentioned he has not been concerned with the muse since that point. Last week, the muse’s CEO and full board of instructions resigned within the wake of “pressure” following that media report.
The prime minister was in Jamaica along with his household from Dec. 26 to Jan. 4, his itinerary from the time exhibits.
The bills from the journey embody $115,526 from RCMP safety for Trudeau and his household. The drive mentioned that extra prices are anticipated to nonetheless be processed because the journey occurred not too long ago.
Furthermore, 4 Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) flight crew travelled with Trudeau. All prime ministers are required to fly on a Royal Canadian Air Force airplane for safety causes, even when it’s for private journey.
That invoice got here in at $29,951.92 in lodging, $3,685.05 in per diems and $40.20 in different bills, together with charges on foreign money exchanges and floor transportation. Meal allowances had been forfeited for almost all of the journey as most meals had been offered by the lodge, the paperwork state.
Also, the Privy Council Office (PCO) acknowledged its bills totalled $16,859.11.
“The expenditures reported are comprehensive costs for the PCO support role for the trip,” the doc states. One worker had an airfare of $3,270.12. They had been chargeable for establishing safe communications on the journey, based on the paperwork.
At the time, the PMO mentioned Trudeau would stay in fixed contact with Ottawa through the journey and proceed to be briefed and up to date on points.
The household’s flights to and from Costa Rica over the Christmas vacation in 2019 price the federal government about $57,000 and hundreds extra had been spent on flight crews’ keep in San Jose. The Canadian Taxpayer’s Federation later argued the prices had been doubtless nearer to a complete of just below $200,000 as soon as all of the flight crew and working prices for the federal government airplane had been tallied in.
Trudeau had been present in violation of conflict-of-interest guidelines in 2017 after a 2016 trip he took to the Aga Khan’s personal island within the Bahamas.
That journey price greater than $200,000.
— with information from Global News’ Amanda Connolly and The Canadian Press
© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
