Trudeau silent on past trips to island
Spokesperson also refuses to discuss any previous rides in the Aga Khan’s helicopter
OTTAWA— Prime Minister Justin Trudeau refuses to say how many times he’s been to the private Bahamian island of the Aga Khan, the billionaire spiritual leader who has been his family friend since he was a young boy.
Trudeau’s recent secret family vacation to the tropical isle has prompted an investigation by the federal ethics commissioner, after opposition MPs complained the trip — which Trudeau admitted included a ride on the Aga Khan’s private helicopter — broke the federal Conflict of Interest Act.
Speaking to reporters during a stop on his campaign-style public tour in Fredericton, N.B., on Tuesday, Trudeau also refused to say how many times he has accepted rides on private aircraft owned by the Aga Khan.
“This was a private vacation,” the prime minister said in French, repeating what he has said for several days about his willingness to speak with ethics commissioner Mary Dawson about the trip. “My office is working with her office to organize the next steps and answer her questions.”
Questions have dogged Trudeau since his office admitted, after refusing to disclose anything about his vacation for several days, that the prime minister, his family and a few friends accepted an invitation to Bell Island over the holidays.
In the face of media pressure, the Prime Minister’s Office subsequently revealed that the friends on the trip were Newfoundland MP Seamus O’Regan, Liberal Party president Anna Gainey and their spouses.
Trudeau has repeatedly justified the trip as a family vacation to visit a longtime friend. But the vacation has come under close scrutiny because of the Aga Khan’s foundation in Canada, which has landed more than $300 million in government aid contracts since 2004 and actively lobbies public officers in Ottawa.
On Tuesday, the PMO’s communications director, Kate Purchase, did not answer questions about any other trips Trudeau has made to Bell Island. She also wouldn’t say if the prime minister has accepted any other rides in the Aga Khan’s private aircraft.
“As you’re aware, the PM and the Aga Khan have been longtime family friends,” Purchase said in an email Tuesday. “We can confirm that we are in touch with the Commissioner’s office and, of course, are happy to provide any clarification she requires.”
The federal Conflict of Interest Act prohibits any minister from travelling on a private aircraft without prior permission from the ethics commissioner.
It is allowed if deemed necessary to carry out government duty. Trudeau could also accept the ride under “exceptional circumstances,” the legislation says.
The NDP has asked Dawson to fasttrack the part of her investigation that deals with the private helicop- ter, calling it a “clear-cut violation” of ethics legislation.
The ethics commissioner is investigating whether Trudeau’s trip breached four sections of the act. Aside from the rule on private air travel, Dawson is looking at a section that prohibits accepting a gift “that might reasonably be seen to have been given to influence” a public office holder.
Dawson will also decide whether Trudeau knew or should have known about a possible conflict of interest. She will examine whether the prime minister failed to recuse himself from official government dealings that may have presented a conflict of interest, according to a letter she sent to Conservative MP Blaine Calkins — who called for an investigation last week — that outlines her inquiry.