The Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, contravened some conflict of interest rules when he accepted a vacation last year on a private island belonging to the Aga Khan, the country’s ethics watchdog said on Wednesday.
The conflict of interest and ethics commissioner, Mary Dawson, said Trudeau contravened a rule on gifts when he accepted the use of the island in March and December 2016, while there were ongoing official dealings with the Aga Khan and the Aga Khan Foundation Canada was registered to lobby Trudeau’s office.
“The vacations accepted by Mr Trudeau or his family could reasonably be seen to have been given to influence Mr Trudeau in his capacity as prime minister,” Dawson said.
Justin Trudeau’s holiday on Aga Khan’s island comes under investigation Read more
While Trudeau says the Aga Khan is a family friend, Dawson found the exception for gifts from friends did not apply.
Trudeau said he accepted her report and would clear future vacations with the watchdog.
“I take full responsibility for it. We need to make sure that the office of the prime minister is without reproach,” Trudeau said.
Trudeau and his family vacationed on the island in late December 2016 into January this year, while members of his family and their guests traveled there in March 2016.
Trudeau has come under fire from the opposition, who have said the luxury Bahamas vacation was inappropriate and showed the Liberal government is out of touch with average Canadians.
The opposition has also accused Finance Minister Bill Morneau of being in a conflict of interest for not putting his assets in a blind trust. He has since said he will do so and has divested his stock in his family business.
Trudeau has said he has known the Aga Khan, Prince Shah Karim Al Husseini, since childhood. The Aga Khan, the title held by the leader of the Ismaili branch of Shi’a Islam, was a pallbearer at the funeral of Justin’s father, former prime minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau.
Trudeau also contravened the rules when he and his family travelled in the Aga Khan’s private helicopter last December and when his family traveled on a non-commercial aircraft chartered by the Aga Khan in March 2016, Dawson said.
Trudeau also went against the rules by not recusing himself from discussions that “provided an opportunity to further private interests associated with institutions of the Aga Khan”, the investigation found.
However, Trudeau did not discuss any parliamentary business with the Aga Khan or his representatives, the report said.
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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau violated four sections of the Conflict of Interest Act during separate family trips to the private island of the Aga Khan in the Bahamas last year, Ethics Commissioner Mary Dawson has concluded.
The finding comes while the House of Commons is off for its Christmas break, but will nonetheless revive opposition attacks against the Prime Minister and his family's decision to accept free trips and helicopter flights to holiday with the billionaire religious leader.
"When Mr. Trudeau, as Prime Minister, accepted the gifts of hospitality from the Aga Khan and the use of his private island in March and December 2016, there were ongoing official dealings with the Aga Khan, and the Aga Khan Foundation Canada was registered to lobby his office. Therefore, the vacations accepted by Mr. Trudeau or his family could reasonably be seen to have been given to influence Mr. Trudeau in his capacity as Prime Minister," she said.
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The Commissioner found there were three all-expenses-paid trips to the island. In Dec. 2014 and 2016, Mr. Trudeau and his family went to the Aga Khan's residence. In March, 2016, only Sophie Grégoire Trudeau and other family members went to the island, but not the Prime Minister.
"Section 12 [of the Act] prohibits ministers and their family members from accepting travel on non-commercial chartered or private aircraft for any purpose unless required in their capacity as public office holders, in exceptional circumstances or with the prior approval of the Commissioner," Ms. Dawson said.
Trudeau apologizes for violating conflict of interest rules (The Canadian Press)
Ms. Dawson adds that "Mr. Trudeau and the Aga Khan cannot be characterized as friends within the meaning of the Act."
At a news conference, Mr. Trudeau said he has drawn lessons from the report and will proactively check all family trips beforehand to ensure there are no conflicts of interest. He said he was seeking a quiet vacation last year and thought his family's long-time ties to the Aga Khan insulated him from any legal or ethical problems.
"It was a standing invitation from the Aga Khan and his daughter to spend some time on their island," he said.
Mr. Trudeau said he takes full responsibility for the situation, even though his wife was responsible for arranging portions of the trips. This year, Mr. Trudeau and his family will go to the Prime Minister's official cottage at Harrington Lake and the Canadian Rockies.
"Obviously there was a mistake," he said. "I should have taken precautions and cleared my family vacations and dealings with the Aga Khan in advance. I'm sorry I didn't and in the future, I will be clearing all my family vacations with the Commissioner's Office."
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He said he still consider the Aga Khan a "close family friend" but will abide by the Commissioner's findings and adjust his dealings with him in the future.
As part of her examination of the trip, Ms. Dawson received evidence from 14 people and conducted two interviews with Mr. Trudeau, as recently as October.
She rejected Mr. Trudeau's assertion that the Aga Khan was a long-time family friend, despite the fact they have known each other for decades.
"Justin Trudeau had no personal or private interactions with the Aga Khan and his family between 1983 and April 2013, when he became Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, except for his father's funeral in 2000," her report said.
Still, Mr. Trudeau said he felt a close link when he saw the Aga Khan in 2000.
"Justin Trudeau said that when he and the Aga Khan saw each other at his father's funeral in 2000, they hugged and he felt an instant re-connection and an instant closeness. Mr. Trudeau said it was as if no time had passed," the report said.
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According to the evidence submitted by the Aga Khan, the invitation to use Bells Cay, in the Bahamas, was made in March, 2014.
"In his written submissions, the Aga Khan described this invitation as an expression of the personal relationship between Mr. Trudeau and his family and the Aga Khan and his family, adding that he and his family have extended such standing invitations to a few close friends. The Aga Khan wrote that he told Mr. Trudeau that because Mr. Trudeau's public life as an elected official affords little private family vacation time, he and his family should feel free to vacation at Bells Cay," the report said.
Ms. Dawson rejected the Prime Minister's assertion that the free flights to the island did not violate the rules because of the "exceptional circumstances" related to the secluded nature of the residence.
"There was nothing unusual, unforeseen or unavoidable about this trip. Mr. Trudeau was well aware, given his previous stay on the island in 2014, that private transportation was needed to reach the Aga Khan's private island. While it may have been typical for guests of the Aga Khan to use his helicopter to reach the island, Mr. Trudeau knew that travel by helicopter was not the only means of transportation to the island," she said.
OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau broke some conflict of interest rules when he accepted a vacation last year on the Aga Khan’s private island, the ethics watchdog said on Wednesday, the first time a prime minister has been found to have committed such a transgression.
While the finding could tarnish Trudeau’s popularity half-way into his mandate, he does not face any penalties.
Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner Mary Dawson said Trudeau contravened a rule on gifts when he accepted the use of the island in March and December 2016, while there were ongoing official dealings with the Aga Khan and the Aga Khan Foundation Canada was registered to lobby Trudeau’s office.
“The vacations accepted by Mr. Trudeau or his family could reasonably be seen to have been given to influence Mr. Trudeau in his capacity as Prime Minister,” Dawson said.
While Trudeau says the Aga Khan is a family friend, Dawson found the exception for gifts from friends did not apply.
Trudeau said he accepted her report and would clear future vacations with the watchdog.
“I take full responsibility for it. We need to make sure that the office of the prime minister is without reproach,” Trudeau said.
Trudeau and his family vacationed on the island during the holidays in late December 2016 into January this year. Members of his family visited in March 2016.
Trudeau has come under fire from the opposition, who have said the luxury Bahamas vacation was inappropriate and showed the Liberal government is out of touch with average Canadians.
The opposition has also accused Finance Minister Bill Morneau of being in a conflict of interest for not putting his assets in a blind trust. He has since said he will do so and has divested his stock in his family business.
Trudeau says he has known the Aga Khan, Prince Shah Karim Al Husseini, since childhood. The Aga Khan, the title held by the leader of the Ismaili branch of Shi‘ite Islam, was a pallbearer at the funeral of Justin’s father, former Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau.
Trudeau also contravened the rules when he and his family traveled in the Aga Khan’s private helicopter last December and when his family traveled on a non-commercial aircraft chartered by the Aga Khan in March 2016, Dawson said.
However, she found no evidence Trudeau discussed any parliamentary business with the Aga Khan or his representatives, or participated in any related debates or votes.
