The provincial Minister of Highways and Infrastructure is facing criticism over a trip to California over the holidays.

Joe Hargrave, along with his wife, made the trek to California on December 22nd to finalize the sale of personal property and to move items back to the province. The move came after the federal and provincial governments urged people to avoid all unnecessary interprovincial and international travel to help limit the spread of COVID-19.

In a statement released on Thursday, Hargrave said the decision to travel was an error in judgement at a time when so many people have had to make sacrifices during the pandemic.

Hargrave, who had advised Premier Scott Moe of the trip, arrived in California on December 22nd and has been in self-isolation since. He has since stated he will be leaving California after his self-isolation ends on January 5th.

The opposition NDP has been calling for Moe to remove Hargrave from the cabinet, a step that Moe has stated he will not take.

Over the holidays, a number of politicians from across the country have been under fire for leaving the country. This includes Ontario Finance Minister Rod Phillips, who went to the Caribbean over the holidays and has since resigned from cabinet. Alberta’s Municipal Affairs Minister took a trip to Hawaii, while NDP MP Niki Ashton was removed from a critic’s position after taking a trip to Greece.