While citizens across the nation were celebrating the holidays, a certain Prime Minister of ours likely had something else on his mind. Recently Justin Trudeau was reported under a conflict of interest for his family vacation to the Aga Khan’s private island in 2016 (remember the one with over $1700 spent on food and beverages on the flight down?).

Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner Mary Dawson has reported Trudeau for violating the Conflict of Interest Code for Members of the House of Commons and the Conflict of Interest Act. These prohibit MPs from accepting gifts that might have been given in order to influence them into using their political power for the gifter’s agenda. She stated that because there were ongoing official dealings with the Aga Khan and the Aga Khan Foundation of Canada (which is a registered lobby group) at the time of Trudeau’s vacation, it is reasonable to believe the intent of the gift was to influence. The Commissioner reviewed multiple other parts of the Code and Act that Trudeau violated, including failing to arrange his affairs to avoid opportunities for discussions intending to further private interests (basically, he was careless and didn’t think it was a big deal), and travelling on a non-commercial aircraft and a helicopter chartered by the Aga Khan without permission from the Commissioner (basically, he tried to be sneaky and didn’t think it was a big deal). Looks like it’s easier to ask for forgiveness than permission, huh?

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau meets with the Aga Khan on Parliament Hill in Ottawa (source: National Post)

So why should Canadians care that Trudeau broke a couple rules? How about a $215,000 bill paid by taxpayers to peak your interest! Not only did he violate clear laws and skip over clearances and checks by the Commissioner, he also flaunted his access to Canadian’s hard earned money and boasted his ability to spend an exorbitant amount on unnecessary items. It is truly dumbfounding how little understanding Mr. Trudeau has that every dollar he spends comes directly from the pockets of Canadians. His carelessness with money and the excruciatingly poor handling of this trip have been put on full display with Commissioner Dawson’s accusation – and for good reason! Why should we have to pay for Justin, Sophie, and the kids to go prancing around the Bahamas on a private helicopter with one of the wealthiest people in the world?

Aside from the price tag of the trip, it is also about the principle of the matter. As Canadians, we expect our elected members to be capable of putting the interests of the citizens they serve over anything else. After all, it is our taxes that make up their pay cheques. Even the potential for a severe conflict of interest degrades the nature of the position as a representative of the people. Sure, there is the possibility that Trudeau may be sincere in his ignorance about this conflict of interest, but as Prime Minister, it is his duty to put a conscious effort in to recuse himself from these sorts of circumstances. Otherwise, how could we place trust and confidence in our elected officials?

Disclaimer: Story of a Tory is in no way affiliated with the Conservative Party of Canada or any other political party, be it federal or provincial. The views of each author are independent of all other authors.