Ontario Prime Minister Doug Ford admitted Wednesday that two weeks ago he is aware that his finance minister, Rod Phillips, traveled to the Caribbean on holiday despite the coronavirus blockade. While in St. Barts, Phillips shared a Christmas night video message of himself with a roaring fire with a gingerbread house by his side. The video appeared to show Phillips in a place that was decidedly not the Caribbean, which led some to suggest that he had posted the photo strategically to throw the audience off his track and hide where he really was.
On Tuesday, Ford ordered Phillips to return home immediately. But he has since admitted he knew of Phillips’ travels two weeks ago, long before the story of his trip became known on Tuesday. Ford, who described the trip to St. Barts’s “completely unacceptable” said he will have a “tough conversation” with Phillips on his return, though Phillips will have to quarantine for 14 days. “I deeply regret traveling during the holidays,” Ford said in a statement. “It was a mistake and I apologize.” Some of Phillips’ colleagues have called for the removal of the legislature for the incident.
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