Trudeau’s vacation: PMO denies misleading ethics commissioner amid probe call

The Prime Minister’s Office is denying allegations it misled the ethics commissioner, after the federal Conservatives called for an investigation into Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s vacation in Jamaica.

The Conservatives want the conflict of interest and ethics commissioner to look into how PMO staff handled the detail that Trudeau stayed for free.

Press secretary Mohammad Hussain said in a statement Wednesday evening that “as per standard practice, the Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner was consulted prior to the travel to ensure that the rules were followed.”

“Any allegation that we would mislead the Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner is categorically false.”

Conservative MP and ethics critic Michael Barrett sent a letter to commissioner Konrad von Finckenstein on Tuesday asking whether he knew Trudeau was staying at a luxury estate owned by a family friend.

Barrett says the vacation is “not the equivalent of staying at a friend’s home” calling it instead a gift with commercial value.

The Canadian Press has not independently verified a National Post report that Trudeau vacationed at a luxury estate owned by longtime family friend Peter Green. Green’s Prospect Estate rents villas for between US$1,100 and US$7,000 a night during the holiday season.

“I recognize that those of us in public office have pre-existing friendships, and it is not completely uncommon to stay at a friend’s home over a holiday,” Barrett said in his letter.

“And I also recognize that Justin Trudeau, as a child of wealth and privilege, is likely to have wealthy and privileged friends.”

However, Barrett said the fact Trudeau was gifted such an expensive vacation “could reasonably be seen,” as being intended to