— Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his cabinet went back to school Sunday with one minister — Jane Philpott — trying to shed her newfound reputation as a problem pupil. The health minister used the start of a two-day cabinet retreat at Laurentian University to apologize in person for repeatedly using a pricey luxury car service owned by a man who volunteered on her election campaign last fall. Company owner Reza Shirani has confirmed that the vehicle Philpott used was a Lexus luxury sedan, prompting opposition charges that Philpott misled Parliament. “Again, in retrospect, we could have obviously been much more specific and clarified exactly what car service was used in some of my work. Still, Philpott defended Sunday the use of a car service, rather than simply taking a taxi to the airport from her home in Stouffville.

Source: National Post August 21, 2016 20:15 UTC