OTTAWA | Justin Trudeau defended his controversial family vacation at a paradise estate in Jamaica by claiming he was simply staying with friends like many Canadians did on vacation.
• Also read: Justin Trudeau's plane crashes abroad again
• Also read: A “free” trip to Jamaica for Trudeau and his family
“Like many Canadian families, we spent the Christmas holidays with friends,” the prime minister said at a news conference in New Brunswick.
“All the rules were followed,” he said without further explanation.
Multiple versions of the facts
Justin Trudeau and his family, including his ex-wife Sophie Grégoire Trudeau and their three children, spent part of the holiday in Jamaica from December 26 to January 4.
According to the National Post, they were staying at the luxurious estate of Peter Green, a real estate mogul who is a longtime friend of the prime minister's father, Pierre Elliott Trudeau.
The Toronto daily estimates the value of the stay at the Prospect property at $84,000.
Justin Trudeau's office initially told the Canadian Press that the prime minister was covering the costs of the stay.
However, it was later clarified that Justin Trudeau and his family were staying with a friend “for free.”
As required by law, the Prime Minister only reimbursed the equivalent of the price of commercial airline tickets for his family's trip.
A great gift
Opposition parties accuse the prime minister of misleading Canadians by multiplying facts when answering journalists' questions about his stay in Jamaica.
“We have the impression that the prime minister thinks Canadians are suitcases,” Conservative Jacques Gourde said during a special meeting of the Ethics Commission on Wednesday.
MPs from all parties, including the Liberals, voted unitedly on a motion calling on the interim ethics commissioner to testify so he can explain “the rules provided for in the law on gifts, including holidays and travel”.
The Conflict of Interest Act provides that a representative may receive “a gift or other benefit from a relative or friend.”
The value of the gift also bothers the opposition, who point out that the average Canadian income is lower than the actual price of the stay.