Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, delivered a Christmas message along with this statement on Christmas Eve.
“Merry Christmas, Canada!
“Today, our family joins Christians across the country and around the world to celebrate the birth of Christ.
“Whether you are sharing a meal with friends, keeping the kids entertained in the snow, or spending time gathered around the Christmas tree, this season is full of joy, light, and love.
“No matter how you celebrate, our greatest holiday traditions are the ones of giving and giving back. Rain, shine, or snow, as Canadians, we take care of each other. From helping a neighbour shovel their driveway to serving a hot meal to someone in need, lending a hand is what brings us closer to the people around us.
“At this time of year, we are especially thinking of our brave Canadian Armed Forces members serving here in Canada and overseas. Thank you for everything that you do to keep us safe and defend the values we hold dear.
“Today, and every day, let us reflect on how we can live the Christmas message of peace and compassion as we come together and keep moving forward in the new year.
“From our family to yours, Hadrien, Ella-Grace, Xavier, Sophie, and I wish you a merry Christmas and all the best in 2020.”
His video message is here
This message was sent out to Canadians while he was on vacation with his family at an unknown location in Costa Rica. Costa Rican Immigration has him arriving at 5:30 pm on December 20th. And that's all we know.
Of course the Prime Minister is known to love surfing and Costa Rica is famous for its many surf breaks, especially in Guanacaste. The Prime Ministers office also noted that this was a personal trip.
Despite Costa Rica being known as a popular destination for Canadian snowbirds, and hosting many Canadian residents, there was no message from the Embassy regarding the trip.
Not to worry Canadians as he has left the Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland in charge and in his recent speech it appears he has passed on most of his duties to her. There is speculation in the Canadian media that he may be prepping for a departure from politics or as leader of the Liberals after winning only 33% of the vote in the last election. The Liberals still have a minority government in charge.
It does seem a little odd to schedule a personal trip with the whole family, and we assume with a fair amount of security personnel, while at the same time promoting the climate change agenda across Canada. In fact just a few weeks ago he instructed the Deputy Prime Minister expand Canada's Climate Action Plan. Deputy PM Freeland is instructed to introduce “additional carbon reduction measures that exceed current 2030 targets and firmly put Canada on a trajectory to net-zero emissions by 2050.”
Given that the flight distance from Ottawa to Liberia is approximately 3980km, it should also be noted that a flight from Ottawa to Whistler is approximately 3510 kms. I'm sure the Canadian taxpayers can cover the carbon offsets for this personal trip somehow.
We do hope the Prime Minister will partake in some of the local customs while here on vacation. Perhaps riding a bull at one of the many fiestas, enjoying a night of chilli guarros at one of the local pubs or simply enjoying a fabulous sunset at one of the many yoga studios along the coast. The photo ops are boundless, if he so chooses.
In any case we welcome PM Trudeau to Costa Rica and hope he has as good a time as we all do.
