‘DUMB, DUMB MISTAKE’

Ontario Minister Quits After Being Caught On Sneaky Caribbean Vacation

Ontario’s finance minister escaped to St. Barts while purporting to be in lockdown back home.

Ontario Finance Minister Rod Phillips resigned on Thursday after being caught out traveling to the Caribbean for a vacation despite a coronavirus lockdown. Ontario Premier Doug Ford had ordered Phillips to come home when the sneaky vacation became news. On Thursday, Ford said: “At a time when the people of Ontario have sacrificed so much, today’s resignation is a demonstration that our government takes seriously our obligation to hold ourselves to a higher standard.”

Phillips left for St. Barts on Dec. 13 but released a Christmas Eve video showing him in a turtleneck sweater by a fireplace, thanking constituents for their sacrifices in staying home. He also tweeted an old photo that made it seem like he had attended a local event. Phillips told a reporter who stopped him at the airport on his way back to Ontario that he made a “dumb, dumb mistake.” He will keep his position as an elected representative for Ajax but will lose his ministerial position and take a $50,000 pay cut.