Trudeau's Jamaica vacation shows 'lack of judgment,' opposition leaders say
CBC
Opposition leaders slammed what they called Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's "lack of judgment" Tuesday after it was revealed he spent his Christmas vacation at the Jamaica home of a wealthy donor to the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation.
Radio-Canada reported that Trudeau vacationed at Prospect, a "luxurious estate" with seaside villas owned by the Green family. Alexander and Andrew Green made a large donation to the foundation in 2021 to establish a scholarship in memory of their mother.
The Jamaica trip cost taxpayers roughly $160,000 because of travel-related security and personnel costs. The French-language arm of the CBC said some staff were also put up at a nearby all-inclusive resort, which cost the federal treasury.
Trudeau was reprimanded by Canada's ethics commissioner over a 2016 vacation to the Aga Khan's private island in the Bahamas — another trip that saddled taxpayers with the tens of thousands of dollars in costs that come when the prime minister travels abroad.
Speaking to reporters on Parliament Hill, Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet said it's not enough that Trudeau had the Jamaica trip pre-approved by the ethics commissioner.
Blanchet said the trip raises questions about Trudeau's capacity to lead the country.
"He didn't hear the little voice saying to him, 'Maybe you shouldn't do this,'" Blanchet said.
WATCH: Bloc Leader criticizes PM's Jamaica trip with Trudeau Foundation donor
While Blanchet conceded Trudeau is entitled to a vacation, the separatist leader said it is a politically questionable decision to take one at a place that costs taxpayers so much.
"Now, here we go again, talking about a lack of judgment and a lack of respect on the part of the prime minister for the average citizen, whose votes he would like to get at election time," Blanchet said.
"This is a lack of respect for taxpayers. A lack of respect for people who are struggling every day. Quebecers and Canadians are facing questions about their capacity to pay their mortgages."
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh also pounced, saying the Jamaica vacation shows the prime minister is out of touch with what Canadians are experiencing.
"The fact is that the lifestyle of the prime minister — the way he lives — means that he doesn't understand people's challenges," Singh said.
Citing Canada's stretched housing market and failing health-care system, Singh said Trudeau isn't all that motivated to tackle the big issues of our time because he's never faced any hardship.
