Ford didn’t know of Phillips’ trip abroad
Finance minister ‘never told anyone’
Ontario’s premier acknowledged Wednesday that he made a mistake in allowing his finance minister to continue a vacation abroad over the holidays as experts warned the incident undermines the government’s messaging regarding COVID-19 measures.
In a brief news conference at a Toronto-area hospital, Doug Ford said he learned roughly two weeks ago that Rod Phillips had left the country and should have pushed for the minister’s immediate return.
He said Phillips “never told anyone” he was going to St. Barts on Dec. 13, but it came to light quickly.
“I did call him shortly after he arrived and I talked to him and asked where he was.
He said he was away,” the premier said.
“My mistake.
I take full responsibility. At that time, I should have said, ‘get your backside back to Ontario,’ and I didn’t do that.”
The premier ’s comments came as Opposition legislators called for Phillips to be removed from cabinet over his Carribbean vacation.
They said the minister contravened the government’s own health guidelines by travelling abroad, and it’s not believable he would do so without telling the premier.
“Everyday folks were separated from aging parents during the holidays. They’ve missed nearly a year of birthdays, first steps or other milestones for grandbabies, nieces and nephews. And they ’ve cancelled their dream vacations, destination weddings and trips home,” NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said in a statement.
“Asking regular people to sacrifice while Ford’s insiders live the high life is wrong, and it has to stop.”
Phillips said in a statement Tuesday that he left on a trip to St. Barts after the end of the legislative session.
The minister said he made the decision to travel not knowing the province would be placed under lockdown on Boxing Day, and said he “deeply regrets” the move.
Meanwhile, experts expressed concerns that seeing one of the province’s leaders flout the very guidelines he is promoting will erode public trust and encourage others to break the rules.
“This is like the parent with a cigarette dangling in their mouth, telling the child not to smoke,” said Dr. Andrew Morris, professor of medicine at the University of Toronto and medical director for Mount Sinai Hospital’s Antimicrobial Stewardship Program.
“It does make a mockery of what the government is trying to tell the public to do,” he said.