Interim Conservative Leader Rona Ambrose was already on vacation on a billionaire’s yacht, when she checked in with the ethics commissioner’s office — a fact that has some Canadians reeling.
On Jan. 11 — when Ambrose was reportedly still on vacation in the Caribbean — she tweeted a letter Conservative MP and ethics critic Blaine Calkins sent to the ethics commissioner, calling for an investigation into Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s vacation with the Aga Khan.
READ MORE: Rona Ambrose vacations on friend’s yacht during Trudeau vacation scandal
The next day, as reported on the weekend, Ambrose sent a letter to the ethics commissioner’s office to check that her own holiday on the yacht of Murray Edwards, oil sands financier and co-owner of the Calgary Flames, was within the rules.
She was told it wouldn’t need to be reported.
“Justin Trudeau knew what he did was against the law,” Ambrose posted on Twitter last month, while she was still on vacation. “All he had to do was say no, but he couldn’t resist the billionaire lifestyle.”
The timing of the criticism has some people up in arms.
Asked about the matter, MP Nathan Cullen told the Globe and Mail that, “If you’re going to throw stones, make sure you’re not standing in a perfect glass house.”
Others took to social media to talk about the timing.
Others also defended her, saying the vacation was approved, and the criticism is unfounded. And others still were left with more questions about ethics rules in general.
There are currently two ethics investigations into Trudeau’s vacation, including one looking into Trudeau accepting a ride to the Aga Khan’s island on his private helicopter. Both investigations were suggested by Conservative MPs. There are currently no investigations into Ambrose’s vacation.
Edwards, who is also co-owner of the Calgary Flames, is ranked as the 30th richest person in Canada by Canadian Business magazine with a net worth estimated at $2.96 billion.
READ MORE: Justin Trudeau’s vacation: ‘Just don’t break the rules,’ journalist panel says
— With files from the Canadian Press