Trudeau's holiday travel didn't break the rules, ethics commissioner tells MPs

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's trip to Jamaica didn't break the rules that govern gifts and travel for elected officials because the stay was a gift from a longtime family friend, Interim Ethics Commissioner Konrad Von Finckenstein told MPs Tuesday.

Speaking to members of the House of Commons ethics committee, Von Finckenstein confirmed that Trudeau's office consulted with his office prior to leaving for Jamaica. He said his office researched Trudeau's relationship with businessman Peter Green and concluded that he is a friend of Trudeau who has no relations with the government of Canada.

Von Finckenstein said the rules governing the gifts and travel that MPs can accept makes an exception for gifts or travel given by parents or friends.

«What we have here is clearly a generous gift but it is between people who are friends and I don't see why, just because they are well off, they can't exchange gifts,» he said.

Von Finckenstein said Green has been Trudeau's guest at the prime minister's official residence at Harrington Lake. Conservative MP Michael Barrett pointed out that this residence is paid for by taxpayers.

But the rules on MPs' travel could be about to change. Members of the ethics committee voted unanimously Tuesday in favour of a motion from NDP MP Matthew Green for two parliamentary committees to consider changing the rules to prohibit MPs from accepting sponsored travel. Under Green's proposal, MPs would be allowed two international trips per year, paid for out of their MP office budgets.

Currently, the rules allow MPs to accept trips sponsored by interest groups provided they declare the trip to the Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner. Although the rules have been tightened to prevent groups