National Post (National Edition)
COVID MISCUES
A St. Barts Christmas, a Palm Springs house sale: politicians who flouted advice are paying the price.
OT TAWA • Former Ontario finance minister Rod Phillips resigned from his cabinet post on Thursday, offering one final example in 2020 of politicians asking the public `to do as I say, not as I do' during the global pandemic.
Phillips, once seen as a rising star in politics, stepped down after he was found to be vacationing on the Caribbean island of St. Barts at a time when the province was advising against international travel.
The former minister had apparently gone to some lengths to cover up the trip, posting photos over the holidays of him with constituents in Ontario, and even taking part in a video conference call from the Caribbean island using a false legislature-themed background.
He returned to Ontario Thursday morning, telling reporters he would “like to continue” in his role as finance minister, and calling the vacation “a dumb, dumb mistake.” Hours later, it was announced his resignation was accepted by Premier Doug Ford, who had earlier called the trip “completely unacceptable.”
Phillips was just one example in 2020 of a politician who imposed restrictions on the public only to disregard those same rules in their own lives.
Sam Oosterhoff, another Conservative Ontario MPP, faced calls to step down in October after he appeared in photos with a large gathering of people not wearing masks. Saskatchewan Highways Minister Joe Hargrave also drew criticism this week for travelling to Palm Springs over the holidays — a trip he said was approved by the premier, and was done strictly to sell his home there and drive his possessions back to Canada.
The Alberta NDP called for the resignation of Municipal Affairs Minister Tracy Allard after it was revealed she took a vacation in Hawaii over the holidays. Alberta Premier Jason Kenney says he only learned of her trip on Tuesday and he asked her to return. He says she has apologized for her lack in judgment.
Kenney has now ordered all cabinet ministers and senior government officials not to travel outside Canada unless it's for government business. He says he made an error by not issuing a clear directive earlier that they should not be abroad because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Back in April and May, federal Health Minister Patty Hajdu had flown back to her home riding on several occasions, at a time when she was telling constituents to cut all non-essential travel in order to curb the spread of COVID-19.
The transgressions by leaders were happening elsewhere, too. Nancy Pelosi was caught at a San Francisco hairdresser during lockdown without a mask. In the U.K., epidemiologist Neil Ferguson, a key adviser to the government's pandemic response, was found breaking lockdown rules by accommodating a romantic partner at his home.
Phillips' tropical trip was entirely for leisure. But the former minister took part in a video conference call on Dec. 16, during the period he was away, in which he can be seen wearing a sweater and saying that “one of the reason pandemics can be so dangerous, through history, is because the very things that we do to come together during hard times … can actually become dangerous.”
In the background of the video, which the Ontario Liberal Party said was unedited, ocean waves can be heard crashing on a shore.
Upon accepting Phillips's resignation on Thursday, Ford called it a “demonstration that our government takes seriously our obligation to hold ourselves to a higher standard.”
Ontario Treasury Board president Peter Bethlenfalvy will assume the role of minister of finance and deliver the 2021 budget.
Phillips returned Thursday morning to a province in lockdown with a record-high 3,328 new COVID-19 cases and 56 new deaths.
He spent more than two weeks outside the country, leaving on Dec. 13, after the Ontario legislature closed, despite provincial guidelines urging people to avoid non-essential travel. The entire province went into strict lockdown on Dec. 26.
Ford said Wednesday he first learned about the trip shortly after Phillips arrived in St. Barts. He said he should have asked the finance minister to immediately return to Ontario, but he didn't — calling it a mistake. Ford also said he would have a “very tough conversation” with Phillips upon his arrival.
Phillips will continue to serve the people of Ajax, Ont., as Member of the Provincial Parliament, he said in a statement.
Phillips, 55, entered public life in 2017 when he was acclaimed as the Progressive Conservative candidate for the Ontario riding of Ajax.
He briefly contemplated a run for the leadership of the party after then-leader Patrick Brown resigned in early 2018, but instead backed Caroline Mulroney, who eventually lost to Ford.
Phillips won a seat in the legislature later that year and was appointed environment minister. He was tasked with rolling out the province's controversial new strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that fall.
Prior to entering politics, Phillips was CEO of the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, and chairman of Postmedia, publisher of National Post.
DISREGARD THOSE SAME RULES IN THEIR OWN LIVES.