The finance minister for Canada’s most populous province has resigned after going on a Caribbean vacation during the pandemic and apparently trying to hide the fact by sending social media posts showing him in a sweater before a fireplace.
Ontario’s premier, Doug Ford, said on Thursday he had accepted Rod Phillips’s resignation as minister hours after Phillips returned home from a more than two-week stay on the island of St Barts despite government guidelines urging people to avoid non-essential travel.
“Travelling over the holidays was the wrong decision, and I once again offer my unreserved apology,” Phillips said in a statement confirming his resignation.
In a video posted on Twitter on Christmas Eve, the sweater-wearing finance minister was shown drinking eggnog beside a fireplace with a gingerbread house and a little Christmas tree.
Yeah, sweaters and eggnog aren’t very St Barts.
I wonder if we only catch out the stupid ones…?
@JuliaM …… probably, but the win here is removing someone “stupid” from a position of political power.
According to the Daily Wail St Barts is stuffed full of celebs, luvvies etc
No doubt shortly to lecture us all on personal carbon footprints
He’s the brother of the (late) Mayor of Toronto Rob Ford, of crack-smoking fame.
Let’s be honest, smoking crack is harmless compared to the damage that most politicians manage to inflict. And, frankly, more moral if not law-abiding than many of them act.
Andy ex-Taiwan January 1, 2021 at 10:10 am – “He’s the brother of the (late) Mayor of Toronto Rob Ford, of crack-smoking fame.”
I would have voted for him!
This is just the latest in a long line of North American politicians telling people one thing and doing another. Jetting off to Mexico for a holiday. Flying to Missouri to have Thanksgiving with the extended family. Hosting dinner parties for donors.
It makes you wonder what they have been told about Covid. Is it perhaps different to what we have been told about Covid?
I will believe it is an emergency when the people in charge show that they believe it is an emergency. Like Global Warming where Obama’s Cape Cod beach-front house says more about his real beliefs than any number of speeches.
Jetting off seems to be quite popular with Canuck politicos:
https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.5859031
Also, there’s unsubstantiated but undenied rumour that the Prime Minstrel is in Barbados.
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– He’s the brother of the (late) Mayor of Toronto Rob Ford, of crack-smoking fame.
Doug Ford is the guy ditching the hypocrite Rod Phillips.
I would be more impressed if, instead of pretending to be sorry, these people said what their actions show them to believe – that the restrictions are unnecessary.
It’s only the lying and hypocrisy that’s wrong. Going on holiday when there’s a bit of a virus about isn’t a problem at all, I’d go if I could.
I remember Neil Kinnock’s son driving from South Wales to London to (purportedly) wish the old boy Happy Birthday. I remember the propaganda highlight as Dominic Cummings strange drive to Barnard Castle. I remember the potentially infectious highlight as the ScotNatz MP taking the train up and down to London.
How many more did we have?
The “gotchas” are humorous and a great opportunity to skewer the pompous. The more important point is how their behavior validates reasonable doubts of the lockdowns.
Dear Barks January 1, 2021 at 9:15 pm
“The “gotchas” are humorous and a great opportunity to skewer the pompous. The more important point is how their behavior validates reasonable doubts of the lockdowns.”
Unfortunately it doesn’t result in the lockups ending, which would be a more useful result than newspaper headlines.
DP