Manitoba premier cites family relationships in defending Costa Rica trips
TORONTO — Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister defended his decision Friday to spend up to two months of the year at his vacation home in Costa Rica because it gives him a chance to see his family.
Pallister recently told The Canadian Press that he plans to spend up to eight weeks a year in Costa Rica. After a speech at the Economic Club of Canada in Toronto on Friday, he said he spends about five weeks annually in the central American country — his most recent stay was over the Christmas and New Year’s holidays with his wife and children.
He defended the time away by saying it doesn’t affect his ability to do his job.
“I don’t mean to sound like I’m petulant about the realities of public life, but I do work a lot of nights. I do work a lot of weekends and so I don’t see my children. We don’t have the opportunities many families take for granted,” Pallister said.