Mechanical problems on the military aircraft that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau traveled to Jamaica on have forced the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) to send a second aircraft to the Caribbean island for repairs.
The CAF CC-144 Challenger that transported Mr. Trudeau to Jamaica on December 26 was found to be inoperable following an inspection carried out on January 2, shortly before his departure.
National Defense spokesperson Andrée-Anne Poulin explains that a second CC-144 Challenger aircraft was sent to transport a technical team and act as a second transport option for the Prime Minister if necessary.
The team of mechanics managed to repair the first device on January 3, the day Justin Trudeau was able to leave Jamaica. The next day he returned to Canada aboard one of the two planes. The other device followed close behind.
Ms Poulin added that for security reasons, the Prime Minister is required to travel on charter flights, whether for official visits abroad or for private trips. For this reason, he was unable to leave the country on a scheduled flight.
The two Challenger model aircraft used by the CAF to transport Justin Trudeau and the technical team were only acquired by the country in 2020.
The Prime Minister and his relatives traveled to Montego Bay, Jamaica for a family vacation. His office confirmed that Justin Trudeau and his family were accommodated free of charge during their trip and that he committed to reimburse the equivalent of the cost of commercial airline tickets for his family's trip.
The prime minister refused to answer questions about his plane's mechanical problems.
Recurring problems
This is also the second episode of mechanical problems affecting the Prime Minister's travels in a few months.
After the G20 summit in New Delhi last September, Mr. Trudeau had to delay his departure from India by two days after discovering a faulty part in his plane that needed to be replaced. At the time he was traveling in a CC-150 Polaris.
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In September 2023, a defective part had to be replaced in India. (file photo)
Photo: The Canadian Press / Sean Kilpatrick
A controversial holiday
Justin Trudeau's personal vacation has already caused several controversies due to the significant costs incurred by the country's population.
A year ago, he traveled to Jamaica to spend the New Year with his family, a trip that cost taxpayers $160,000. Although this trip was viewed positively by the ethics commissioner, many criticized him for his poor judgment and his connections to the “super-rich”.
The prime minister also traveled to Montana for the Easter holidays, a personal vacation that cost nearly $230,000, far more than the $23,846 reported to Parliament.
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Mr. Trudeau said he deployed a security detail during a private visit to the Yellowstone Club in Big Sky, north of Yellowstone National Park, a site that attracts wealthy tourists from around the world. (archive photo)
Photo: Associated Press / Erik Petersen
That amount does not include the $204,993 the RCMP spent on overtime and basic costs such as room, board and travel related to Mr. Trudeau's vacation, according to information obtained by CBC at era.
This situation is similar to his family vacation on the Aga Khan's private island in the Bahamas several years earlier. These cost the state treasury $215,398.
The final bill included costs incurred by the RCMP, National Defence, Foreign Affairs and Council Offices and represented a 70 per cent increase over the previously disclosed $127,187.
In addition, this trip had earned him a reprimand for violating conflict of interest rules. Former Commissioner Mary Dawson ruled that Mr. Trudeau's vacation violated the law that prohibits ministers from accepting gifts or benefits that could be seen as an attempt to influence government business.
Justin Trudeau's other trips, including to Tofino on Truth and Reconciliation National Day, also sparked reactions.
With reporting by Elizabeth Thompson from CBC News and The Canadian Press