Bloc Leader Questions Trudeau’s Judgment on Jamaica Stay at Wealthy Friend’s Estate

Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet speaks in the foyer of the House of Commons in Ottawa on March 9, 2023. The Canadian Press/Justin Tang

The ethics commissioner saw no issue with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau vacationing in Jamaica at a wealthy friend’s estate, but Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet says it still shows a lack of judgment.

“There’s a lack of consideration and respect for the average citizen in that behaviour,” Blanchet said at a press conference in Ottawa on April 18.

CBC reported earlier that day that Trudeau stayed at the Ocho Rios estate of family friend Peter Green during the holidays. The estate has five residences costing between $1,100 and $7,000 a night during peak season.

The Green family made a large donation to the Trudeau Foundation two years ago, reported CBC.

Blanchet said Trudeau has the right go on vacation like everybody else and that his transportation and security come at a normal cost, but he expressed concerns about Trudeau living in “opulence” while many people are worried about paying their mortgage.

He also questioned whether Trudeau was aware of the donation to the foundation and asked whether the amount would be revealed, and whether he paid himself for his stay in Jamaica.

The PMO did not tell CBC whether Trudeau paid for his accommodation and other expenses, only that he reimbursed the equivalent value of the commercial flight for a personal trip.

An Inquiry of Ministry tabled by the government on March 20 in relation to the trip says the RCMP expenses for ensuring the security of the prime minister for his vacation totalled $115,526. Travel costs for the Royal Canadian Air Force crew was $29,951. Another $20,030 was spent for government officials who also travelled.

Trudeau defended the trip in the House of Commons on April 18, saying the Trudeau and Green families have been friends for 50 years. “When one has a friend, we’ll often go visit them,” he said.

Trudeau also remarked that the trip was cleared by the ethics commissioner, as also reported by CBC. But CBC says it’s unknown if the commissioner was aware of the donation to the Trudeau Foundation.

Former ethics commissioner Mary Dawson had cleared Trudeau regarding the 2016 Chinese donation to the foundation, saying she accepted Trudeau’s word he had stopped being involved with the organization after entering politics in 2013.

Information suggests Trudeau was still active with the Foundation in 2014, the year it signed a deal with Chinese Communist Party adviser Zhang Bin for a $200,000 donation.

But MPs are allowed to hold positions in non-profit organizations, “as long as they are able to fulfill their obligations” under the Conflict of Interest Code for Members of the House of Commons, ethics commissioner spokesperson Melanie Rushworth told The Epoch Times.

Neither the Prime Minister’s Office nor the Trudeau Foundation have responded to questions about the exact date of Trudeau’s withdrawal from the foundation’s activities.

The Trudeau Foundation leadership resigned on April 11 over how the Chinese donation was handled and the ensuing fallout.

In light of new revelations about the Foundation, including those reported by Le Devoir saying the Foundation had inserted itself in the Chinese donation deal initially only involving the Université de Montréal, Blanchet took the opportunity to again call for a public inquiry into foreign interference.

He said what he calls a lack of judgment on Trudeau’s part on his vacation and other issues should prevent him from making decisions in relation to a future inquiry.

“It does raise the question about how can he pretend that he would be legitimate to play any role in the definition of a mandate or the nomination of some presidency to an inquiry of which he would be one of the main subjects,” he said.