Once again, the Prime Minister's plane crashed abroad, this time while Justin Trudeau and his family were vacationing in Jamaica, a situation reminiscent of the situation that occurred in India a few years ago.
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The news was first reported by CBC News and confirmed to National Defense's QMI Agency.
“We can confirm that two Royal Canadian Air Force CC-144 Challengers flew to Jamaica to transport the prime minister,” said defense spokeswoman Andrée-Anne Poulin.
According to them, an unspecified technical problem was discovered in Mr. Trudeau's plane on January 2nd during an inspection of his plane in preparation for his departure on January 4th.
“A maintenance team and aircraft were dispatched and repaired the aircraft on January 3rd. THE [second] “The aircraft remained in the region as a backup aircraft and the Prime Minister was able to return on the first aircraft,” she added.
Difficult journeys
Recall that last September, at the end of the G20 summit, Mr. Trudeau and his team were stranded in India for a day and a half after his plane malfunctioned. The Prime Minister had to wait for a second army aircraft to bring a spare part to India to repair his aircraft.
The collapse in Jamaica also presents a new challenge alongside the prime minister's trip, who was vacationing with his ex-wife Sophie Grégoire and their three children.
His office caused controversy when it first claimed between Christmas and New Year that Justin Trudeau and his relatives were staying in Jamaica at their own expense to travel to the Caribbean island for the second time in as many years. However, the cabinet corrected this claim in recent days, pointing out that the Trudeau clan ultimately stayed with friends “for free.”
According to various media outlets, including CBC News and the National Post, the family returned to Prospect Estate, a five-villa luxury complex owned by Peter Green's family. The ties between the Trudeaus and the Greens date back to the 1970s. The cost of overnight stays ranges from $850 to $5,200 (CAN $1,100 to $7,000), depending on the villa.
Last year, Radio-Canada reported that the Green family made a large donation to the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation.
“After eight years of Justin Trudeau, the Prime Minister has not only proven that he is out of touch, but also that he has become an expert in free luxury vacations!” Why did you wait until you were caught in the act to admit it? ?” commented the conservative MP Luc Berthold on X.
The ethics commissioner was consulted in the preparation of this trip, Mr. Trudeau's office assured.
Last year, the prime minister's trip cost taxpayers about $160,000, an amount largely attributed to his security by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
Both this year and last, Mr. Trudeau promised to refund the equivalent of the amount he would have had to pay for commercial flights to Jamaica.