TORONTO -- An expanding list of Canadian politicians are in hot water after being caught vacationing or travelling abroad amid a worsening COVID-19 pandemic at home.
Current , something Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and health authorities have repeatedly reiterated in public briefings.
Here is a quick rundown of the politicians involved thus far:
ONTARIO
Ontario Finance Minister Rod Phillips , although his social media presence made it seem otherwise. His office released tweets and Instagram posts of the minister while he was away 鈥� making it appear he was in Ontario all along.
When confronted at Toronto鈥檚 Pearson Airport on Dec. 31, Phillips called it a 鈥渄umb mistake.鈥�
Public anger was also aimed at Ontario鈥檚 Premier Doug Ford 鈥� despite his public condemnation of Phillips鈥� decision 鈥� as it became clear Ford knew about the vacation two weeks ago.
鈥淎t that time I should have said 鈥榞et your backside back into Ontario鈥� and I didn鈥檛 do that,鈥� .
On Jan. 3, that she would 鈥渟tep aside鈥� from her role as parliamentary secretary to the minister of International Development after visiting Seattle, Wash. on Dec. 23 for a private memorial for her uncle and father, both of whom passed away during the past few months.
鈥淢y decision to run as a Member of Parliament was ultimately born from my desire to serve my community,鈥� Khera 鈥淚 am therefore choosing to focus my efforts on the most pressing concern in our fight against COVID-19; to ensure we are able to vaccinate as many people as possible, as fast as possible.鈥�
On Jan. 4 while still abroad, Conservative MP from Ontario David Sweet resigned as chair of the House of Commons Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics Committee, and has announced he will not be running again in the next federal election.
According to the party, Sweet travelled to the U.S. to deal with a 鈥減roperty issue鈥� but then stayed afterward 鈥渇or leisure,鈥� without telling Conservative Leader Erin O鈥橳oole or the party鈥檚 whip.
ALBERTA
After initially declining to discipline members of his government for travelling abroad as it emerged staff, outlining a range of sanctions and demotions for members of his government.
鈥淎lbertans have every right to expect that people in positions of public trust be held to a higher standard of conduct,鈥� said Kenney鈥檚 statement. 鈥淢illions of Albertans have made real sacrifices over the past 10 months to help keep each other safe. They are right to be angry about people in positions of leadership vacationing outside of the country.鈥�
Municipal Affairs Minister Tracy Allard, who vacationed in Hawaii, has resigned from her role, Kenney announced.
Allard鈥檚 Instagram account posted a video of her delivering a holiday message in front of a Christmas tree at the Alberta Legislature Building 鈥� a move she denies was to cover-up her location.
Other MLAs have been stripped of their additional roles, such as committee memberships, for travelling abroad amid the pandemic.
Late on Jan. 1, CTV Calgary confirmed Calgary-Klein MLA Jeremy Nixon was also vacationing in Hawaii and would be returning on the "earliest available flight" after being told to return home, according to the premier鈥檚 office.
Kenney has accepted his resignation as parliamentary secretary for civil society.
He has also accepted the resignation of Jason Stephan from Treasury Board, over his international travel.
Lesser Slave Lake MLA Pat Rehn, who travelled to Mexico, has lost his legislature committee position.
in a Mexican cave wishing people a merry Christmas were shared widely online, along with other posts urging Albertans to stay home and save lives.
Calgary-Peigan MLA Tanya Fir travelled to the U.S. to visit her sister. and has returned to Canada, but has lost her committee responsibilities.
On Jan. 2, CTV Calgary confirmed that Red Deer-South MLA Jason Stephan travelled to the U.S. and is 鈥渞eturning to Alberta in line with the premier鈥檚 directive."
Stephan abroad in a statement on Facebook.
"I support individuals and families having the freedom to choose for themselves whether they travel or not, provided they are respectful of others in doing so. International travel, in and of itself, does not negatively impact Alberta鈥檚 COVID curve if it is done responsibly," he wrote.
"I do not consider myself an exception to health guidelines. I have never asked Albertans to do things that I myself would not do 鈥� and that includes not travelling."
He has also lost his legislature committee position, as has Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo MLA Tany Yao.
A spokesperson for the United Conservative Party caucus told 麻豆影视 by email on Jan. 3 that Yao was 鈥渃urrently in Mexico.
鈥淲e are attempting to contact him to advise him to return as per the premier鈥檚 directive,鈥� the statement said.
Kenney has also accepted the resignation of his chief of staff, James Huckabay, who travelled to the U.K. and came back via the United States on Boxing Day.
鈥淭hese individuals demonstrated extremely poor judgement,鈥� Kenney said.
Two education ministry press secretaries of them on a beach. They have since deleted their social media accounts.
On Wednesday, that Michael Forian, press secretary for Alberta鈥檚 Education Minister, was spotted in a photo with another staffer seemingly vacationing in Hawaii for Christmas.
In photos shared on Instagram, Forian appeared to be a beach with his arm around a woman tagged as Eliza Snider, press secretary for the minister of advanced education. Forian later after receiving online backlash to the photos.
It is unclear when the photos were taken and neither the premier's office nor press secretary for the education ministry responded to 麻豆影视 Edmonton's request for comment.
Alberta Conservative MP Ron Liepert's office also confirmed to 麻豆影视 that he travelled twice since March, once during the current parliamentary break, to Palm Desert, Calif., to deal with "essential house maintenance issues."
"There has been no non-essential travel and he has complied with all public health guidance, including the Alberta border testing program, each time he has travelled," read a statement issued to 麻豆影视
MANITOBA
The NDP said Jan. 1 that MP Niki Ashton travelled abroad to visit an ailing family member in Greece, which Ashton later .
NDP leadership said they were not aware of the trip and that Ashton had not informed them of her intentions before she left.
The party stated in the release that while they were 鈥渟ympathetic鈥� to Ashton鈥檚 plight, that she would be removed from her shadow cabinet critic roles moving forward.
On Jan. 4, 麻豆影视 confirmed that Conservative Sen. Don Plett took a personal trip to Mexico over the holidays and is now quarantining in his home province of Manitoba.
鈥淪enator Plett travelled to Mexico on December 28th, upon arrival he reflected on his decision to travel and immediately made arrangements to return home on December 31st,鈥� read a statement said from spokesperson Karine Leroux. This was the only trip outside of Canada that Plett has taken since March 2020, according to his office.
QUEBEC
Liberal MNA Pierre Arcand and his wife returned home to Quebec on Friday, Jan. 1 after . Arcand apologized for his travel and said he "regrets" doing it, but said he would not step down.
Arcand maintains he and his wife got tested for COVID-19 before they left from Quebec and again when arriving in Barbados.
On Jan. 4, the .
CAQ MNA Youri Chassin was also caught internationally visiting his husband in Peru. His party released a statement said his trip was planned in order to wrap up immigration procedures for his spouse, who he had not seen in a year.
On Jan. 3, Liberal MP Sameer Zuberi that he and his family had travelled to the U.S. in December in order to visit his wife鈥檚 grandfather, whose health was deteriorating.
鈥淚 recognize that travel during this period, when so many are limiting interactions with loved ones, was an error in judgement. I apologize to my constituents for the disappointment I may have caused,鈥� he wrote.
He returned on Dec. 31, and has been quarantining since.
He added that he would be stepping away from his committee roles, which include sitting on a subcommittee for international human rights, foreign affairs and international development, a standing committee on justice and human rights and a standing joint committee for scrutiny of regulations.
Another Liberal MP, Alexandra Mendes, confessed Jan. 3 that she had also travelled internationally., she said that her husband鈥檚 mother, who lived in Portugal, had died in May.
鈥淢y husband and I felt it would be irresponsible to travel to Portugal at that time, even to accompany her in her last days,鈥� Mendes wrote.
In July, as some lockdowns measures lifted, Mendes and her husband went to Portugal to deal with his mother鈥檚 estate after her death. She added that she had informed the Whip and the Speaker鈥檚 office before she travelled, and that she had followed the proper quarantine measures.
Patricia Lattanzio, Liberal MP for St-Leonard-St-Michel, In September, she went to Ireland to help one of her daughters move to attend school there -- a trip she described as 鈥渆ssential and necessary.鈥� She followed quarantine requirements when she arrived home, she said.
Liberal MP Lyne Bessette Jan. 3 detailing an international trip she had made in the summer during the parliamentary recess. She explained that her parents had gone to Mexico in October 2019 with the intentions of spending the winter there, but had returned home to the U.S. at the beginning of the pandemic out of fear that her father鈥檚 precarious health, which had required hospitalization, would put him at risk of COVID-19.
In the process, they left behind their belongings in Mexico. Bessette travelled herself to Mexico in the summer to retrieve the belongings, including a mobile home and a vehicle.
鈥淥n my way back to Canada, I made a brief stop in Massachusetts to finalize the sale of my home,鈥� Bessette added, saying she quarantined when she arrived home and had followed health guidelines during the trip.
Bessette鈥檚 Facebook did not show any sign of this summer trip. She explained in her statement that 鈥渄uring this period, my team kept up my social media presence by sharing publications of events that had taken place earlier in the summer.鈥�
SASKATCHEWAN
On Jan. 4 Saskatchewan Party MLA and Highway Minister Joe Hargrave has resigned from his ministerial role, after his trip to Palm Springs, Calif. Dec. 30.
The trip was taken to finalize a sale of personal property, he said, later calling it an 鈥渆rror in judgement.鈥�
Hargrave apologized and said he had informed Premier Scott Moe of his travel plans. His wife is also on the trip.
The couple plans to return to Canada after their self-isolation period in California ends on Jan. 5.
The government has also said that Corrections Minister and MLA for was in California from Oct. 30 to Nov. 9, to be with a family member who was ill with a non-COVID-19 related illness.
With files from Alexandra Mae Jones and Rachel Aiello
