By Rebel News | Created at 2024-11-14 21:56:59 | Updated at 2024-11-23 01:02:35
1 week ago
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau went to Bermuda Wednesday morning for the funeral of Peter Green, a close family friend and Trudeau Foundation donor.
The elder Green controversially gifted the Trudeaus luxury accommodations during a family vacation last Christmas.
Konrad von Finckenstein, the ethics commissioner, told MPs that elected officials can accept gifts and travel from friends or family. “I don't see why, just because they are well-off, they can't exchange gifts,” he said of the trip.
From December 26 to January 4, Trudeau stayed at a luxurious 5,000-square-foot, fully staffed villa offering six bedrooms with en suite bathrooms in two buildings, sleeping 12 guests with a private swimming pool and hot tub mere steps from a private beach.
The Trudeaus have been friends with the Green family since the 1970s, reported CBC News. Pierre Trudeau was godfather to Peter Green's son Alexander, who delivered a reading at the elder Trudeau's funeral in Montréal.
Pierre Trudeau also spoke at the funeral of Peter Green's wife in 1990, following her death from cancer at the age of 38.
Von Finckenstein said he was not consulted on the one-day trip as Trudeau does not intend to accept any gifts, unlike the $84,000 in luxury accommodations during his family vacation at the esteemed Prospect Estate, owned by the Green family.
The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said Trudeau “will pay the equivalent of a commercial airline ticket for his personal travel and that of his accompanying family members” who chartered the government plane.
Alexandre Boulerice, the NDP deputy leader, gave his condolences to Trudeau, but clarified the appropriateness of using government transport to attend a private function.
“Whether it's for Trudeau or [Stephen] Harper before him, the personal use of the Challenger aircraft should be reimbursed in full,” Boulerice told CBC News.
“Unfortunately, this isn't the first time we've seen this kind of behaviour — Trudeau doesn't seem to be taking lessons from his past mistakes,” he added.
The prime minister does not fly commercial for security reasons.
Though accommodations for the prime minister's Christmas 2023 Jamaican excursion were free, the Trudeau family’s 10-day stay cost taxpayers $230,442, as reported by Rebel News.
Among the expenses include $162,051 for an RCMP security detail, and some $42,000 in fuel costs for two Challenger jets. The first one had mechanical problems and was not airworthy for the return flight.
Members of the Commons ethics committee claimed the prime minister violated the Conflict of Interest Act by accepting gifted accommodations. But a Conservative motion to procure trip documents failed to pass in a 7-3 vote.
The Office of the Ethics Commissioner said it cannot disclose information that public officeholders divulge to the commissioner.
“All the rules were followed,” Trudeau clarified when asked about the ethics of his extravagant vacations.
In 2017, the prime minister breached the Conflict Of Interest Act for accepting a $215,000 vacation from a federal contractor, the Agha Khan.
The prime minister also billed taxpayers $162,792 for a 2022 Christmas vacation at the same resort.
Alex Dhaliwal
Calgary Based Journalist
Alex Dhaliwal is a Political Science graduate from the University of Calgary. He has actively written on relevant Canadian issues with several prominent interviews under his belt.
