THUNDER BAY – Local MPs and MPPs say there’s no excuse for the international trips taken by some of their colleagues in defiance of clear public health guidance.
Recent revelations of personal trips taken by figures from all major political parties during the pandemic have generated public outrage, and seen numerous provincial and federal politicians removed from cabinet or stripped of other parliamentary duties.
Northwestern Ontario MPs and MPPs contacted by Tbnewswatch reported no personal travel outside of the region since March. Most have travelled within the country in connection with their duties, largely between Thunder Bay and legislatures in Toronto and Ottawa.
“I’m startled there are so many elected officials who have been ignoring the very clear [guidance] that non-essential travel should be absolutely avoided,” said Thunder Bay-Superior North MPP Michael Gravelle. “It suggests there’s a belief on some people’s behalf that they operate under a different set of rules and can get away with it.”
“I just don’t understand how you go through that decision-making process and come out saying, ‘Well, this should be fine,'" said Thunder Bay-Superior North MP and federal health minister Patty Hajdu.
"The majority of Canadians have foregone international travel – we know travel is down significantly. When you’re in a position of leadership, it’s inappropriate to ask people to curtail things like non-essential international travel and then do that ourselves.”
Provincial representatives Gravelle, Thunder Bay-Atikokan MPP Judith Monteith-Farrell, and Kenora-Rainy River MPP Greg Rickford all reported that they had only travelled beyond northwestern Ontario to work at Queen’s Park in Toronto since the pandemic began.
Federally, Thunder Bay-Rainy River MP Marcus Powlowski reported taking one personal trip from Ottawa to Quebec City with his family in March of 2020, when travel guidelines had not been issued.
Hajdu had not undertaken any personal travel during the pandemic, she said, though the health minister came under fire over the summer for flights between Ottawa and Thunder Bay.
Kenora MP Eric Melillo had travelled within Canada on parliamentary business while complying with public health advice, his office said, and to Manitoba for surgery over the holidays.
MPP Monteith-Farrell expressed deep disappointment in leaders who had flouted public health guidance against non-essential travel.
“I was super angry that people would travel during a pandemic, when we time and again have asked people to sacrifice so much,” she said. “That’s part of public office – you’re supposed to be an example."
“I feel upset as well because this undermines the confidence in a lot of good politicians that didn’t travel,” she added. “We’re highlighting the ones who did, [but] there are a lot of politicians making sacrifices just like every other Canadian.”
Hajdu shared her concern the revelations could undermine public faith, singling out former Ontario finance minister Rod Phillips, who made numerous social media posts that left the impression he was in his riding while on vacation. Phillips resigned on Dec. 31 after the trip was revealed.
“To imply they’re beside a warm crackling fire on Christmas Eve while in fact they’re on a beach in St. Bart’s – it doesn’t do any favours for how people view politicians and the important role politics plays in our lives," Hajdu said.
Representatives unanimously condemned cases of leisure travel, such as the trip that prompted Phillips’ resignation.
“Certainly I think he had no choice but to resign,” said Gravelle. “I do think Premier Ford erred when he spoke to then-Minister Phillips when he was away, and didn’t order him back immediately.
“For a number of weeks, Premier Ford was aware that he was away, but did nothing about it until it came out publicly.”
Powlowski expressed some sympathy for those, like two of his Liberal colleagues and NDP MP Nikki Ashton, who had travelled due to illnesses or deaths in the family.
“I think we ought to be a little understanding of the difficulty for people in these roles, when they have serious family illnesses or deaths,” he said. “But, so do all Canadians – we’re all in a similar position… We’re asking people in our community to not go into seniors’ homes, chronic care homes.”
He supported those MPs’ removal from parliamentary roles, but didn’t believe their actions should be career-ending.
“The punishment has to suit the crime,” he said. “They’ll do their time off the committee, off parliamentary secretary, and then it’ll probably come back to them. They probably deserve a rap on the knuckles, but only [that].”
Monteith-Farrell was slightly more critical.
“I’m sympathetic, but many people have been unable to attend funerals, to attend the birth of their grandchildren, even their children,” she said. “There were many, many cases where people could not be with a loved one when they were dying… As a politician, if they haven’t heard those stories, I don’t know where they’ve been working.”
Hajdu expressed "empathy" for Canadians travelling due to family illnesses or deaths, but said politicians should be held to a higher standard.
“Non-essential travel is so hard to pin down," she said. "It’s not as clear-cut for many families. I have a lot of empathy for people who are travelling because of needing to support relatives in other countries.”
Still, she said, “there are many reasons why international travel is not advisable right now."
