NDP MP says travelling to Greece during pandemic tough decision
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 30/01/2021 (1734 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
New Democrat MP Niki Ashton, who was punished by her party after travelling overseas at Christmas, says she felt she had to disobey pandemic restrictions.
She has returned home to northern Manitoba, but wouldn’t reveal how long she had been in Greece visiting her sick grandmother.
“When I made the decision to visit my giagia, it was one of the toughest decisions I have ever had to make,” Ashton told the Free Press, adding that she followed all COVID-19 protocols.
The federal NDP demoted Ashton from her official critic roles because she had not informed party brass about the Christmas trip. Since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic in March, health officials have urged Canadians not to leave the country.
Ashton had informed the party about her visit to Greece last summer when her maternal grandmother required surgery. At the time, COVID-19 case counts had dipped across Canada.
Ashton had also told party brass about traveling from Thompson to Winnipeg in the summer to help look after her paternal grandmother, who later died. That travel would have been qualified as essential under Manitoba’s northern travel ban.
On New Year’s Day, the MP disclosed her travel amid a furor over Canadian politicians travelling to beach destinations.
She said many constituents reached out to her about her decision to travel, including people who pointed out they’ve been forbidden to attend funerals or visit dying relatives within Manitoba.
“Some supported my decision; some didn’t. I respect that,” Ashton said.
She explained her grandmother in Greece has no relatives who live in the country, where elder care is predominantly done by family members.
She noted her paternal grandmother, Nedra Ashton, died alone at St. Boniface Hospital in July.
“What we have been through has been tough, but I know that for others, it has been worse,” Ashton wrote in an email.
Ashton said she followed all the rules in Greece and Canada, including quarantining, adhering to curfews, wearing a mask and taking four COVID-19 tests.
“I took all the necessary precautions, but I regret that the timing wasn’t different.”
— Dylan Robertson