A Canadian government official was forced to resign after posting a video claiming he was home to the coronavirus blockade – while on holiday in St. Louis. Barts.
Ontario’s finance minister Rod Phillips shared a Christmas Eve clip in a sweater, sipping eggs in front of a fireplace and thanking Canadians for avoiding non-essential travel during the holidays.
“I want to thank each and every one of you for what we do to protect the most vulnerable,” Phillips said in the video.
Other posts on his Twitter account also suggested he was at home in Ontario with snow, including a December 17 photo of Canadian maple syrup being poured over pancakes and one about visiting local businesses on Christmas Eve.
It appears that Phillips was actually on the island of St. Barts of the Caribbean – a favorite playground for the rich and famous – since at least December 13, Newstalk 1010 reported for the first time.
Opposition parties and health officials have called for Phillips to step down.
He was ordered to return to Ontario, and Prime Minister Doug Ford promised to have a “very tough conversation” with Phillips when he returned on Thursday.
On Thursday, Ford said it accepted Phillips’ resignation
In a statement, Phillips said he “deeply” regrets taking a vacation at the beach.
“It was a mistake and I apologize,” he said, acknowledging: “I went on a paid personal trip to St Barts on December 13 after the legislative session ended.”
On Thursday, at Pearson Airport, he told reporters that he made a “stupid mistake” while taking the trip, CBC reported.
“I don’t apologize for traveling when we shouldn’t have traveled.”
With Post threads