QCOSTARICA “If you don’t think that COVID’s real right now, you’re an idiot. You need to understand that we’re all in this together. You cannot fail to understand this. I will do what I believe is right, and right now we need to save lives,” Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister issued an impassioned plea to his constituents, urging them to refrain from gathering over the upcoming Christmas holiday.
The newfound attention for Pallister stems from his media briefing on Thursday. In a clip which later circulated online, the premier acknowledged the near-lockdown he’s imposed to get COVID-19 numbers under control.
He said he recognizes the decisions he makes are preventing Manitobans from enjoying the holidays.
this is leadership pic.twitter.com/immQePFXIw
— Peter Wade (@brooklynmutt) December 4, 2020
During a Thursday news conference, Pallister ridiculed virus deniers and spoke emotionally to Manitobans about the need to celebrate this holiday season apart.
Then he got choked up and said, “I’m the guy who’s stealing Christmas to keep you safe. Because you need to do this now.”
Pallister’s message has now been watched millions of times.
Pallister criticized the federal government’s national vaccine rollout strategy during a news conference Thursday.
More: Pallister’s connection to Costa Rica
Pallister is a well known visitor of Tamarindo (Guanacaste) and has come under fire in the past vor his frequent working vacations in his verdant retreat in Costa Rica, a 715 square meter (7.700 square feet) hacienda on 2.2 hectares (5.6 acres) in 2007 and 2010 buying two other properties totalling 3 hectares (7.65 acres)
The Costa Rican holidays first surfaced as an issue during the April 2016 provincial election which Pallister won. The issue seemed to disappear only to resurface in December’s year-end interviews, when he said he planned to spend six to eight weeks at his foreign property, igniting another round of criticism.
More: Manitoba (Canada) premier penalized for unpaid back taxes on Costa Rica vacation home
Pallister, who spent 36 days in Costa Rica from the time just before the election to the end of 2016, according to his office, defended himself by saying he works long hours and rarely has time with family.
With files from Cbc.ca, CNN.com, Rollingstone.com and TheGlobeandMail.com
