Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's vacation with the Aga Khan won't have any impact on future funding decisions for his Canadian charity, International Development Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau says.
In an interview with CTVNews.ca, Bibeau countered concerns about the vacation, pointing out the previous government recognized the Aga Khan Foundation of Canada as a strategic partner, providing it tens of millions of dollars a year for its international development work and humanitarian aid programs around the world.
Former prime minister Stephen Harper also awarded honorary citizenship to the Aga Khan, the hereditary spiritual leader for the world's 15 million Ismaili Muslims.
"I think we all recognize the good work that this organization is doing in very fragile countries. The fact that the [current] prime minister knows the Aga Khan since he was a kid shouldn't impact the fact that Aga Khan Foundation is a strategic partner for international development," Bibeau said.
In 2015, the foundation received more than $46 million in Canadian funding, according to an audit posted online. Its executive director is a registered lobbyist who has met with Bibeau and her chief of staff, according to publicly available records.
The Prime Minister's Office confirmed last month that Trudeau, his family and a few friends vacationed on the Aga Khan's private island at the end of December. They also flew in his private helicopter.
The Aga Khan was an honorary pallbearer at the funeral of Trudeau's father, former prime minister Pierre Trudeau.
Bibeau says Global Affairs Canada has strong mechanisms in place to choose its partners based on their track record, ability and experience.
"This has nothing to do with relations," Bibeau said.
"I've never talked about [the] Aga Khan [foundation] with the prime minister, and the prime minister is not getting involved in the choice of the partners we're working with. I don't feel any, absolutely any, pressure from his part. I honestly believe that it was a family holiday."
