Canadian lawmaker resigns after taking lockdown vacation

A Canadian lawmaker resigned Thursday after being caught taking a family vacation in the sunny Caribbean while his compatriots were urged to avoid non-essential travel during a strict pandemic lockdown.

Ontario’s finance minister, Rod Phillips, apologized for his “dumb, dumb mistake,” telling reporters upon arrival at the Toronto airport: “I do not make any excuses for the fact that I travelled when we shouldn’t have travelled.”

Hours later, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he’d accepted Phillips’ resignation.

“At a time when the people of Ontario have sacrificed so much, today’s resignation is a demonstration that our government takes seriously our obligation to hold ourselves to a higher standard,” Ford said in a statement.

Phillips, local media revealed this week, had travelled to the Caribbean island of St. Barts on December 13 as the number of new daily Covid-19 cases across Canada hit record highs.

ALSO READ: Western Cape health MEC slammed for holidaying as health workers struggle to cope

He said he would have cancelled the trip if he’d known that two weeks later the surge in cases — including 3,300 in Ontario on Thursday — would force Canada’s most populous province and economic engine into a 30-day lockdown.

But officials have been warning against travel for months.

On Wednesday, Ford told reporters at a facility preparing vaccines: “There can’t be rules for elected people and non-elected people.”

“I can tell you I’m very upset. I’m very frustrated with the situation. I stand out here every single day and tell people to stay at home,” he said.

While others were urged to skip big Christmas get-togethers this year, Phillips’ staff continued to post messages from him on social media giving the false impression that he was home for the holidays — including a fireside video thanks to Canadians for their efforts to curb the spread of the Covid-19 illness.

Phillips also reportedly took a trip to Switzerland in August.

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.