The Conservatives on Monday abruptly put an end to questions about the Liberal government's ethical woes after it was revealed interim leader Rona Ambrose vacationed in the Caribbean on a billionaire's yacht at the same time she was blasting Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for his own lavish holiday.
Ms. Ambrose and her caucus have been harsh critics of Mr. Trudeau for vacationing with his family and Liberal friends over the holidays on a private island in the Bahamas owned by the billionaire Ismaili leader, the Aga Khan. Mr. Trudeau is currently under investigation by the Ethics Commissioner, who will determine whether he broke the federal Conflict Of Interest Act, possibly for taking a private helicopter, although Mr. Trudeau denies wrongdoing.
"Justin Trudeau knew what he did was against the law. All he had to do was say no, but he couldn't resist the billionaire lifestyle," Ms. Ambrose tweeted on Jan. 12.
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But it turns out Ms. Ambrose was embracing that same billionaire lifestyle – possibly in that very moment.
Ms. Ambrose's spokesman, Mike Storeshaw, confirmed a report first published by news website iPolitics last week that the acting leader and her partner, J.P. Veitch, vacationed on energy mogul Murray Edwards's yacht around the islands of St. Barths and Saint Martin.
Mr. Storeshaw said Ms. Ambrose travelled between Jan. 3 and 14, but only checked in with the Office of the Ethics Commissioner on Jan. 12 – six days after Mr. Trudeau's trip was first revealed by the National Post, and on the same day she sent her "billionaire lifestyle" tweet. Ms. Ambrose also tweeted a copy of Conservative MP Blaine Calkins's letter to the Ethics Commissioner on Jan. 11.
"Ms. Ambrose has followed all rules that apply to her with respect to her holiday, and was open and transparent with the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner, unlike the Prime Minister," Mr. Storeshaw said.
"Ms. Ambrose paid for a flight on a charter to the holiday destination along with a number of friends, none of whom are public office holders."
The Ethics Commissioner's office confirmed no inquiry into Ms. Ambrose's trip has been launched.
NDP MP Nathan Cullen said Monday that working Canadians are going to have a hard time identifying with either party.
"So the sanctimonious and angry tweets of the Conservative leader … to the Liberal leader was from one billionaire's yacht to another billionaire's island. Must be tough being Liberal and Conservative leaders, because maybe it was billionaire envy," he said.
"If you're going to throw stones, make sure you're not standing in a perfect glass house."
As recently as Friday, Conservative House Leader Candice Bergen was criticizing the Liberals for having "a lot of money for vacations on private islands."
Conservative MPs on Monday defended Ms. Ambrose, even as none seemed aware she was on a billionaire's yacht as she was criticizing Mr. Trudeau.
"Nope," Conservative MP Tony Clement said when asked if he knew of Ms. Ambrose's vacation. "I didn't have that conversation with her, as to where she decided to take her holiday," Conservative MP Michael Cooper said.
Mr. Edwards, who is also co-owner of the Calgary Flames, is ranked as the 30th richest person in Canada by Canadian Business magazine, with a net worth estimated at $2.96-billion. He is also chairman of the board of Canadian Natural Resources Ltd., which lobbies the federal government. But a spokeswoman for Ethics Commissioner Mary Dawson said that since Ms. Ambrose is an MP and not a minister, she only has to adhere by the conflict of interest code, not the act. The code allows MPs to accept gifts that could not be seen to influence them in their positions, such as those from family and friends, and do not have to disclose such gifts. Ms. Ambrose told the Ethics Commissioner Mr. Veitch has been friends with Mr. Edwards for 33 years. Through a company spokeswoman, Mr. Edwards declined to comment.
With a report from The Canadian Press