Ontario’s Ex-Finance Minister Who Holidayed in St. Barts Plans to Retire

(Bloomberg) -- Rod Phillips, Ontario’s former finance minister who resigned in December 2020 after taking a vacation to the Caribbean against the public health guidelines of his government, said he will retire from politics and not seek re-election.

Phillips, now minister in charge of long-term care and nursing homes, said he intends to resign next month from the provincial parliament, ahead of the elections in June, according to a statement posted on Twitter.

“I have always considered public service a privilege and it has been an honor to serve,” he said. “My professional life has been spent in the business world and I look forward to returning to the private sector.”

Phillips also said he remains “confident” Ontarians will re-elect Premier Doug Ford’s government in the upcoming election.

Phillips is the former chairman of the board of Postmedia Network Inc, one of Canada’s largest media chains, and previously served as the president and Chief Executive Officer of the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation.

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