Ontario minister who flouted Covid advice to take Caribbean holiday resigns

Rod Phillips steps down as finance minister of Canada's most populous province, adding to pressure on the premier, Doug Ford

The finance minister for Canada's most populous province has resigned after going on a Caribbean vacation during the pandemic and apparently trying to hide the fact by sending social media posts showing him in a sweater before a fireplace.

Ontario's premier, Doug Ford, said on Thursday he had accepted Rod Phillips's resignation as minister hours after Phillips returned home from a more than two-week stay on the island of St Barts despite government guidelines urging people to avoid non-essential travel.