Lesser Slave Lake MLA Pat Rehn says he is returning to Alberta. The UCP MLA posted a statement on his Facebook page. Rehn, as well as Municipal Affairs Minister Tracy Allard and other government staff and MLA were vacationing outside of the country. While federal and provincial regulations do not forbid international travel, non-essential trips are discouraged by Ottawa and the province due to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic.
On Friday, Premier Jason Kenney said he would not sanction anyone who travelled but has since issued a directive that senior officials cannot leave the country unless it’s for government business.
While Rehn has declined an interview with the Trending 55 Newsroom at this time, he posted the following statement. While Rehn did not say where he and his family travelled to, several posts on social media have indicated that he was in Mexico.
“Residents in our riding have done a tremendous job reducing the spread of COVID-19. We must all work together to get past this pandemic and get back to normal life. Given this, I apologize for the fact that I recently took a previously planned family trip, following a busy legislative session. I am returning home to Alberta and will ensure I follow the premier’s new travel directive.” -Pat Rehn, MLA for Lesser Slave Lake.
– Kenny Trenton, Trending 55 Newsroom
