Ontario’s finance minister resigned on Thursday after provoking outrage over taking a vacation to the Caribbean earlier this month, challenging his own government’s security guidelines against pandemic.
News of Rod Phillips’ vacation was released Tuesday after Ontario Prime Minister Doug Ford announced that he had ordered his finance minister to return home.
Finance Minister Rod Phillips answers a question as she, Premier Doug Ford and Minister of Health Christine Elliott answer questions during the daily COVID-19 press conference in Toronto’s Queens Park province.
(Toronto Star via Getty Images)
“At a time when all Ontarians were asked to make sacrifices, I am extremely disappointed with Minister Phillips and his decision to travel abroad,” said Ford.
Phillips, a member of the Ontario Conservative Progressive Party, said he left the province and went to the French island of St. Barts on December 13, after the legislative session ended.
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Phillips’ official Twitter profile is filled with tweets highlighting the seriousness of the pandemic. In a Christmas Eve tweet, Phillips paid tribute to the frontline workers who made sacrifices during the holiday season. Ontario initiated a blockade on December 26 to contain the spread of the virus.
Phillips returned home on Thursday and apologized for the trip.
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“Today, after my conversation with Rod Phillips, I accepted his resignation as Ontario’s Finance Minister,” Ontario Prime Minister Doug Ford said in a statement. “At a time when the people of Ontario have sacrificed so much, today’s resignation is a demonstration that our government is serious about our obligation to remain at a higher standard.”