Politician Caught Taking Caribbean Holiday Resigns

One Canadian's "dumb mistake" has cost him his job—and a relatively high-profile one at that. Ontario Premier Doug Ford on Thursday announced the resignation of Finance Minister Rod Phillips, who traveled to St. Barts in the Caribbean on Dec. 13 as the government urged citizens to avoid all non-essential travel. Phillips returned Thursday after his whereabouts were revealed; during his time away he had been tweeting in a way that implied he was still in Ontario. The Guardian flags one video, posted Christmas Eve, in which he was sitting by a fireplace with eggnog and a gingerbread house beside him.

The BBC reports that upon landing at Toronto Pearson Airport, Phillips told reporters he hoped to hang on to his job, but "obviously, I made a significant error in judgment, and I will be accountable for that." Ford's announcement came after the two had a conversation. Bloomberg's take: "It’s a dramatic fall from grace. He’s a neophyte politician and has been Ontario’s finance minister for just 18 months, releasing his first budget only last month." (More resignation stories.)