The latest victim of coronavirus travelling madness is NDP MP (Churchill–Keewatinook Aski) Niki Ashton..Ashton has been stripped of her shadow roles as transport critic and deputy critic for women and gender equality, as punishment for travelling to visit her sick grandmother in Greece..The party released a statement saying Manitoba member of Parliament Niki Ashton travelled to Greece recently to visit a family member who was seriously ill, reported Canadian Press..The statement said Greek officials, who currently only permit visitors to enter the country if they can prove their trip is essential, approved Ashton’s visit. .Ashton reached out to Canadian officials for “best practices,” but did not notify the leader or the party whip of her travel plans, said the NDP..The NDP statement said party members sympathize with Ashton’s situation, but notes millions of Canadians adhered to public health guidelines under similarly pressing circumstances..“Canadians, rightfully, expect their elected representatives to lead by example. While this is no family vacation, Ms. Ashton will be removed from her shadow critic roles.”.There is no requirement for employees in Canada to notify employers of personal travel plans while on leave..Nor are Canadians currently prohibited from travelling outside Canada..But he Government of Canada advises Canadians to “avoid all non-essential travel outside Canada and to avoid all cruise ship travel outside Canada until further notice.”.U.S. Customs and Border Protection indicates 244,244 Canadians have flown to the United States alone since October. .Although early on in the pandemic infection from international travellers was the primary means of infection nationally, currently it is approximately 1 per cent of total infections..Dr. Isaac Bogoch, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Toronto and a member of the Ontario vaccine distribution task force has said: “It’s like a tiny, tiny fraction of all the cases that we’re seeing in Ontario. So, no, it’s not zero, but it certainly is not driving the epidemic in Ontario…. Was in the past, but it isn’t right now.”.Ashton is not the first politician to experience the backlash of pandemic travel..Ontario Minister of Finance Rod Phillips, Alberta Minister of Municipal Affairs Tracy Allard, Premier Jason Kenney’s chief of staff Jamie Huckabay, Saskatchewan Highways Minister Joe Hargrave, Quebec Liberal assembly member Pierre Arcand have all come under fire for travelling abroad. Phillips was forced to resign over a vacation in St. Bart’s..It was not reported exactly how Ashton’s mercy trip became known to the party; however, she had posted a social media message on January 1 saying: “After spending Christmas alone with our family at home in MB, now I am with my ailing grandmother, my γιαγιά, in Greece. ΧρÏνια Πολλά με υγεία.”.Ashton has not yet commented publicly on her demotion..Ken Grafton is the Western Standards Ottawa Bureau Chief. He can be reached at kgrafton@westernstandardonline.com
