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Finance Minister Rod Phillips travelled outside Canada for vacation this month

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Ontario’s finance minister is under fire after leaving the country to go on a “personal trip” earlier this month.

In a statement to CHCH News, Rod Phillips office says he and his wife travelled outside of the country “immediately” following the end of the legislative session, which was on Dec. 8 for a “previously planned personal trip.”

“Had I been aware then of the eventual December 26th province-wide shutdown, we would have canceled the trip,” said the statement.

News of the trip was first reported by Toronto radio station Newstalk 1010.

Phillips’ office did not say when he returned to Canada or where he went.

His statement says he is following public health directives, including the 14-day quarantine.

However, questions have been raised about the exact timing of the trip and whether or not a quarantine did in fact take place based on tweets from Phillips’ account.

Several tweets show him out and about in his riding, including one where the television shows the date as Dec. 11.

Another has Phillips at an Ajax pharmacy. It was posted on Dec. 18 but the tweet says he visited the weekend before.

Phillips’ press secretary has now clarified that the minister left on the weekend of Dec. 12/13.

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