New Brunswick Minister for Natural Resources Mike Holland left the province to see his significant other for Christmas, the Prime Minister’s office has confirmed.
Nicolle Carlin, director of communications for Premier Blaine Higgs’ office, said no other PC-MLAs traveled outside of Atlantic Canada during the holiday season.
However, Carlin admitted that Holland had traveled to “rural Nova Scotia” to visit his significant other.
“Minister Holland is currently at home and has been isolating himself for 14 days and following everything COVID-19 related guidelines, ”said Carlin.
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In a second email, the Prime Minister’s Office confirmed that Holland will have no impact on his travel as at that time “travel was not prohibited and he was following all required protocols”.
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But the statement divides the hair.
New Brunswick has never banned travel in or out of the province. Instead, everyone entering the province has relied on a 14-day self-isolation period to stop the province from expanding Coronavirus.
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The only exception was travelers from the Atlantic Bubble, which fell apart in November.
The statement also ignores multiple, repeated requests from provincial health officials to avoid non-essential travel.
In an update on December 3, Russell said non-essential travel was not recommended at the time.
At that briefing, Higgs even provided a personal anecdote to highlight the sacrifices he personally made over the vacation.
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He said that his two daughters and their families will not be traveling home to New Brunswick for Christmas and that he will have to celebrate his mother’s 100th birthday virtually, not in person.
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The provinces own guidelines formulate the rules more strictly for the holiday season.
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“New Brunswickers are strongly advised to avoid all non-essential travel this holiday season, especially outside of your local area or to areas where COVID-19 cases are present and increasing.”
What does the province consider essential? The clearest definition was given when the province decided to restrict access to Campbellton, NB, which is only for essential goods and services to residents of Listuguj First Nation and Pointe-à-la-Croix, Quebec.
At that time they defined essential goods and services as necessities of life (including food and clothing); support services (including butchery for game); Health care (medical and hospital care, prescriptions, and medical equipment and supplies); Goods and services they need for their work; Banking and financial services; Transportation (including car repair); Animal welfare; and funeral or visiting services for members of the traveler’s immediate family.
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None of these cover the reason for traveling to Holland.
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Wave of politicians caught traveling
Several politicians at different levels of government have allowed non-essential travel and have been fined for it.
Ontario Treasury Secretary Rod Phillips resigned last week after returning from a two week vacation in St. Barts, where he had been since December 13th.
The NDP moved out Manitoba MP Niki Ashton from her cabinet critics after traveling abroad to visit her ailing grandmother in Greece.
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Saskatchewan MLA Joe Hargrave was arrest took a trip to California to complete the sale of his Palm Springs home. Since then he has resigned from his role as motorway minister.
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Quebec Liberal Member of the National Assembly (MNA) Pierre Arcand and his wife were seen vacationing in the Glitter Bay area of Barbados. The party leader has meanwhile ordered her home.
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Earlier on Monday six Alberta MLAs Anyone who has left the country has resigned from office or lost or lost his office as minister or cabinet committee.
Prime Minister Jason Kenney’s chief of staff has also been asked to resign.
Other parties say caucus members stayed in New Brunswick
All other parties in the New Brunswick Legislature responded to Global News when asked if their members traveled outside the Atlantic Bubble
The three members of the New Brunswick Green Party have stayed in the province since the Atlantic bubble closed, a party spokesman told Global News on Sunday.
When the Atlantic bubble was active this summer, some members of the Green Caucus toured the region, but none have left the Atlantic since the pandemic began, the party confirmed.
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The Peoples Alliance of New Brunswick confirmed that its two members would be staying home over the holidays.
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The New Brunswick Liberal Party said one of its 17 caucus members left the province to receive medical treatment allowed under the province’s health guidelines.
“(This member) followed all public health guidelines before, during and after their trip,” said Ashley Beaudin, communications director for the province’s official opposition.
In addition, Benoît Bourque traveled to Romania in July to visit his wife, the Liberals confirmed. He even posted about it on Facebook at the time.
– With files from Emerald Bensadoun and Emily Mertz from Global News
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