We’ve seen a lot of politicians issue Wuhan coronavirus restrictions and then straight up violate themselves like California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Perhaps what made their hypocrisy even worse was their responses when caught. Newsom lied about the situation, claiming his jaunt at the French Laundry was outside and then said there were fewer people than there actually were. Lightfoot, who went and got her haircut when others weren’t able to, said she had to look good for the public. That was her excuse. Pelosi blamed the poor owner of the hair salon, suggesting that the story about her getting her hair done there when salons were shut down was a plant to embarrass her. No, she did that fine all on her own.
But you have to hand it to Ontario Finance Minister Rod Phillips, a member of the Legislative Assembly. His Wuhan coronavirus hypocrisy really reaches a new level of awful because he went all in to fool people.
Here’s his government asking everyone to stay home.
Ontario Finance Minister Rod Phillips left for St. Barts on Dec 13.
Since then, here's the times (I could find at the request of @elamin88) the Ford government has asked us to stay home.#onpoli pic.twitter.com/3Kvkx2ClWI
— James Wattie (@jameswattie) December 30, 2020
Here he is saying we all have to make sacrifices this year.
As we all make sacrifices this #Christmas, remember that some of our fellow citizens won't even be home for Christmas dinner over Zoom.
Thousands of front line heroes will be at work, looking out for us.
Who is the special hero in your life you want to thank?
👩🏽⚕️👨⚕️👮👨🏿🚒👷🏻🎖️
— Rod Phillips (@RodPhillips01) December 24, 2020
Here he is doing a fireside Merry Christmas to the constituents. Sure looks like he’s home, right? Nice warm fire and sweater to ward off that Ontario cold.
It's #ChristmasEve. To my constituents in #Ajax & people across Ontario, all the best during this special time of year. Even as COVID-19 changes how we celebrate, we should reflect on what makes Christmas so special to us – including family & the act of giving. #MerryChristmas! pic.twitter.com/AX7hKWA88n
— Rod Phillips (@RodPhillips01) December 24, 2020
Except not so much. Turns out that since Dec. 13, Rod Phillips has been in St. Barts. Yes, that same high tone celebrity-laden place that Chrissy Teigen and John Legend ran off to, after preaching at us too, despite the CDC warning against non-essential travel there. I guess sunning yourself qualifies as “essential” to these folks. Some sacrifice.
In his first statement he tried to justify it, saying he’d been outside the country immediately following the end of the legislative session.
“Immediately following the end of the Legislative session, which occurred on Dec. 8, my wife and I departed on a previously planned personal trip outside of the country. Had I been aware then of the eventual Dec/ 26 provincewide shutdown, we would have cancelled the trip,” said the first statement. “I have continued my work daily as the Minister of Finance and MPP for Ajax including dozens of digital ministry, constituency and cabinet committee calls and meetings.”
He then issued a later statement saying he’d been in St. Barts since Dec. 13. He apologized and said he was coming back immediately and would begin a 14 day quarantine.
But he had tweeted out pictures over that time period, suggesting he was in Canada in addition to the Christmas Eve video, when he was in the Caribbean.
Ontario’s Finance Minister Rod Phillips has been on a personal vacation outside the country since December 8.
He created a series of disingenuous tweets to make it appear as though he was at work in Ontario. Here are examples.
Phillips MUST resign.#ResignRodPhillips #onpoli pic.twitter.com/p7goyS0o6M
— Adam Lockett (@AdamLockett34) December 29, 2020
He even had a fake Canadian background while on Zoom calls.
Rod Phillips on a Zoom call supposedly on Dec 16th – which would be from St. Barts. Sweater and all. With the Ontario legislature building in the background. You can hear the waves from the ocean at the beginning of the video. Several times. pic.twitter.com/oQ2gqIRPbZ
— KC (@kci2013) December 30, 2020
Rod Phillips used a fake Zoom background to pretend he was still in Ontario, when he was actually in St. Barts. What a pathological liar. You just can’t trust Rod Phillips. But really: if the finance minister was doing this, what other cabinet ministers were? @C_Mulroney? https://t.co/o0CMgokwYx
— Ezra Levant 🍁 (@ezralevant) December 30, 2020
This guy really takes the prize for worst Wuhan virus hypocrisy with his next level fakery.
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