Opposition leaders question N.S. cabinet minister's trip to Trump inauguration

Michael Gorman · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 18, 2025 5:33 PM EDT | Last Updated: 8 minutes ago

Nova Scotia's curate of opportunities and societal improvement says it was important to be the inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump successful January, but absorption leaders are questioning wherefore the travel was not antecedently announced and what payment the public actually received.

The Liberals called attraction to Scott Armstrong's travel during question play astatine the legislature connected Tuesday.

The minister's disbursal connection lists the travel arsenic being from Jan. 19-21. The full cost, which included a instrumentality formation from Halifax to Washington and 2 nights astatine a Hilton edifice successful Arlington, Va., was $3,288.47.

"I would reason Nova Scotians didn't truly get overmuch for it," interim Liberal Leader Derek Mombourquette told reporters.

Mombourquette said helium doesn't recognize the deficiency of announcement astir the travel oregon wherefore the state was represented by Armstrong, alternatively than the furniture curate liable for economical improvement oregon the premier, who is liable for trade.

Armstrong told reporters that helium was apt selected due to the fact that of past planetary acquisition during his clip arsenic a subordinate of parliament and the information helium was capable to unafraid a summons to the inauguration done a idiosyncratic transportation helium has successful the authorities of South Carolina.

"It's not the easiest summons successful the satellite to get," helium said.

Like galore people, Armstrong didn't get to usage his summons due to the fact that atrocious upwind forced the lawsuit to beryllium moved indoors. Instead, helium spent the bulk of inauguration time participating successful events astatine the Canadian embassy.

"I met galore leaders of manufacture from some sides of the border. There were members of legislature there, determination were members of authorities legislatures there."

Sharing Canada's side

Armstrong said helium was besides interviewed by the Boston Globe for a communicative astir the menace of U.S. tariffs, successful which helium talked astir the concerns related to Michelin's cognition successful the state and risks for the seafood sector.

It's captious that Canadian officials instrumentality each accidental they tin to speech astir the issues and pat immoderate contacts they person to get that connection to the American nationalist and U.S. authorities officials, said Armstrong.

"We request to marque definite we spell down determination truthful that the radical successful the United States of America tin get our broadside and I truly deliberation the champion mode to bash that is really to beryllium determination and speak."

• Tim Houston appears connected Fox to marque lawsuit against Trump tariffs

NDP Leader Claudia Chender said she heard "no bully rationale" for wherefore Armstrong would beryllium the 1 to spell connected the travel oregon wherefore it was not antecedently disclosed by the government.

Chender said Armstrong should person footed the bill.

Premier Tim Houston has made aggregate trips to the U.S. successful caller months arsenic portion of delegations trying to lobby the Trump medication to backmost down connected tariffs of 25 per cent connected Canadian goods.

Houston's astir caller trip, which took spot this past week, included meetings with concern officials successful New York and attendance astatine a large seafood amusement successful Boston. Provincial Fisheries Minister Kent Smith besides attended that lawsuit arsenic the state tries to contend with not lone American tariffs but the looming menace of a 25 per cent tariff from China connected unrecorded lobster and different products.

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