OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s office is clarifying that he and his family are vacationing in Jamaica “at no cost at a location owned by family friends” after initially saying the family was paying for their stay.

The Prime Minister’s Office says in a statement that the federal ethics commissioner was consulted “on these details prior to the travel to ensure that the rules were followed.” 

The office offered the clarification the day before Trudeau’s holiday on the Caribbean island is set to conclude. 

Before his family left on Boxing Day, Trudeau’s office said it consulted with the ethics commissioner and the family would cover the cost of their stay and reimburse the public for the cost of travelling on a government plane.

Officials are not saying where Trudeau is staying, but CBC and Radio-Canada reported last spring that during the family’s last New Year’s trip to Jamaica, they stayed at a luxury estate owned by Peter Green, whose family has known the Trudeaus for decades. 

The public broadcaster reported at the time that the PMO declined to say whether Trudeau paid for his own accommodation.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 3, 2024. 

The Canadian Press