Serious business or self-promotion? Critics question Justin Trudeau's trips to U.S.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau threw some light jabs during a photo-op with kids in a Brooklyn boxing ring last week. But bigger punches about Trudeau's trips to the United States are being thrown at home, mainly from the Conservative opposition.

Over the past two months,Trudeauhas spent at least 13 days in the U.S. includingtravel days.These are thedays that have been confirmed by the Prime Minister's Officeand Trudeau's travel itineraries.

• Conservatives, Liberals spar over expenses for Chrystia Freeland's L.A. stopover
• Justin Trudeau arrives in Washington for official visit

While there, Trudeauhassplit timebetween Washington and New York City, visiting both twice.

Opposition MPs pounced on the Liberals inside the House of Commons throughout March and April criticizing Trudeau for "lavish meals"and photo-ops during his travels south.

PMTrudeauin theU.S.

• March 9-11(Washington) State dinner, Oval Office meeting, State Department working lunch.
• March 16, 17 (New York City) UN visit and meetings, gender equality award at Catalyst gala.
• March 30-April 1 (Washington) Attended Nuclear Security Summit, met with prime ministers from United Kingdom andIndia.
• April 20-24 (New York City) Signed Paris climate treaty agreement at the UN, boxing training photo-op, New York University Q&A, sawHamiltonon Broadway.

But the boxing above everything else Trudeau has done in the U.S. seemed to providethe most fodder forcritics.

Interim Conservative LeaderRona Ambrose twice referenced itin the House of Commonslast Thursday, while discussing the children's fitness tax credit, which the Liberalswill be phasing out by the end of 2017.Trudeau's boxing was also brought up in separate remarks byConservative MPs Denis Lebel and Alexander Nuttall.

"Now the prime minister can use those same tax dollars of families and fly to New York to work out in front of TV cameras, while families are struggling to pay for their kids' sports. Instead of focusing on self-promotion, will the Prime Minister focus on promoting children's fitness and reinstate the child fitness tax credit?," Ambrose asked.

A spokesman for the prime minister said costs for this kind of international travel, including accommodations and meals, are covered by Global Affairs Canada under the international conference allotment and are published annually in September. A breakdown of Trudeau's costs for the recent U.S. trips was not immediately available.

Expenses for the prime minister not covered by travel with an official delegation are disclosed quarterly on the prime minister's own proactive disclosure website, but no foreign expenses are listed for the most recent quarter, which ended March 31.

'3days to sign a piece of paper'

A fundraisingemailsent out bythe Conservative Party on Sunday afternoonblastedTrudeau for "self-promoting in the U.S.," criticizing the boxing stop in Brooklyn and for taking "three days to sign a piece of paper." Trudeau was in townto signthe Paris climate treaty agreementat the UN.

Andre-LyneHall, aspokeswomanfor the PMO,brushed off the criticism in an emailto CBC News.

"We are proud of the work that we have been doing in the last sixmonths and the prime minister is proud to represent Canada on the international stage," shesaid.

"Signing the Paris Agreement at the UN last Friday was an important step in the fight against climate change that over 150 countries are undertaking."Hallsaidthe boxing photo-op was part of a program to help disadvantaged kids.

Trudeau spent an additional day and a half in New York for "private appointments" like his trip to see the immensely-popularhip-hop musical Hamilton on Broadway before travelling to the cabinet retreat in Kananaskis, Alta.

The prime minister has also travelled extensively throughout Canada since taking power, including visits to towns and cities inNew Brunswick, Nova Scotia, British Columbia, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Alberta,Ontario and a family vacation to Newfoundland.

What do the U.S. trips mean?

Debora VanNijnatten, whochairsWilfrid Laurier University'spolitical science department, said that whileTrudeau has been abroad "a lot," she thinks thetrips are warranted.

"He's got a lot of bridges to build, or rebuild, I would say, 'cause things have not been very overtly friendly over the last little while between the Harper government and the U.S. administration," VanNijnatten said, referring to former prime minister Stephen Harper and U.S. President BarackObama'scomplicated relationship.

"Why wouldn't he go and sign the Paris agreement? That's an appropriate move for a Canadian prime minister that has prioritized climate change and said he's going to do something about it. An absence would have been remarkable."

VanNijnatten who teaches courses on Canada-U.S. politicssaid the frequency of Trudeau's trips to the U.S. in the last two months weren't necessarily planned, but rather opportunities thatpopped up.

"I think [people]should expect him to be on the road a little bit because he needs to show that Canada is willing to engage again," she said. "The kinds of issues that we face right now globally are not solved by Canada focusing on its own backyard, right?"

For Brian Bow, an associate professor at Dalhousie University whospecializes in Canada-U.S. politics, thetrips have been about shaping the image of a new government with a new prime minister.

"[The government wants] to cement the idea in Canadian voters' minds of [Trudeau]as sort of a statesman and an important figure and someone to be taken seriously," he told CBC News.

"There's such a conspicuous difference in the amount of time and the amount of attention that the new government seems to be putting into this compared to the previous one."

Though no immediate plans for another trip to theU.S. have been announced, Bow says to expect many more.

"The more time you are out there doing those international meetings, the more it kind of builds up your credibility as a leader at home."