December 29th, 2020

Ford needs to have consequences for jet-set Phillips: NDP

NDP Deputy Leader Sara Singh said Doug Ford cannot give Finance Minister Rod Phillips a free pass for his choice to leave the country for a vacation in December, while instructing everyone else to stay inside their home.

“Doug Ford let Sam Oosterhoff off the hook when he held a big family shindig. Ford let himself off the hook for gathering with family when he told the rest of us we can’t. These guys just think the rules don’t apply to them,” said Singh.

“Everyday folks were separated from their aging parents during the holidays. They’ve missed the birthdays and graduations of people who are precious to them, and they have been separated from nieces, nephews and grandbabies as they’ve grown and hit new milestones over the last year. While the rest of us ache to hug our loved ones again, Doug Ford insiders are whooping it up, even vacationing in the tropics.”

Phillips claims in a statement to have left soon after Dec. 8, when Ford adjourned the legislature. On Dec. 11 he tweeted about his visits “today” to local businesses. On Dec. 15 he attended a funding announcement in Durham. On Dec. 18 Phillips tweeted photos of himself visiting a local business, which he says were taken the previous weekend. On Christmas Eve he tweeted that “we all make sacrifices this #Christmas. According to multiple media reports, Phillips is still outside the country.