Interim Conservative leader Rona Ambrose had already spent several days on a billionaire’s yacht when she wrote to the federal ethics commissioner to make sure her holiday wasn’t breaking any rules.
Ambrose was on a yacht owned by oilsands financier and Calgary Flames co-owner Murray Edwards from Jan. 3-14 as it sailed in the Caribbean.
Back in Ottawa, her Conservative colleagues blasted Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for vacationing on the Aga Khan’s private island.
Ambrose wrote to the ethics commissioner on Jan. 12, the day Trudeau admitted to using the Aga Khan’s private helicopter to reach the island.
The ethics commissioner said Ambrose didn’t break any rules and didn’t need to disclose any details of her holiday.
While still on the yacht, Ambrose tweeted that Trudeau couldn’t resist “the billionaire lifestyle,” and linked to a story about the prime minister’s vacation.
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.
Under the Conflict of Interest Act, ministers of the Crown are not allowed to “accept travel on non-commercial chartered or private aircraft for any purpose unless required in his or her capacity as a public office holder or in exceptional circumstances or with the prior approval of the (Conflict of Interest and Ethics) Commissioner.”
