Prime Minister Justin Trudeau confirmed that all rules were followed for his recent vacation to Jamaica, where the opposition is pushing for the Ethics Commissioner to appear before MPs to answer questions about the trip.

In a private meeting of the House of Commons Ethics Committee on Wednesday, Liberal MPs said they did not oppose the idea of summoning Acting Commissioner Conrad Fonkenstein to testify.

But they said they want his appearance to include a detailed explanation of the travel rules set out in the Conflict of Interest Act.

Liberal MP Mona Fortier said any investigation into the matter requires a deep understanding of how the law works, to ensure people can maintain confidence in their democratic institutions.

Earlier this month, Trudeau's office said the Prime Minister's family was staying at a property owned by family friends at no cost, after previously saying the family would cover the cost of their stay.

Trudeau's office explained that it consulted the Ethics Commissioner and the family will reimburse the cost of travel on a government plane.

Trudeau told reporters in French at a press conference in New Brunswick on Wednesday, "Like many Canadian families, we went to stay with friends for the Christmas holiday, and all the rules were followed."

Michael Barrett, the Conservative ethics critic, said everyone is entitled to a vacation, but the problem is the changing narrative coming from the Prime Minister's office.

Barrett added, "This is an incredibly problematic issue," and said he wants to know if Trudeau misled Fonkenstein in seeking advice about the trip.

A spokesperson for Prime Minister Mohammed Hussein said in a statement last week, "According to general practice, the Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner was consulted before the travel to ensure rules were followed."

"Any claim that we mislead the Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner is categorically false."

Barrett said he requested copies of communications between the Ethics Commissioner's office and Trudeau's office about the trip, but his request was denied.

Liberal MP Pam Damoff argued at the committee meeting on Wednesday morning that this is appropriate, saying conversations between the Ethics Commissioner's office and MPs should remain private so politicians can feel comfortable seeking advice.

The Conflict of Interest Act allows politicians to accept gifts and other benefits only from relatives or family friends who have a close relationship, and found that Trudeau had previously circumvented this rule when he was a guest at Aga Khan in late 2016.

The New Democrats argue that reforms are necessary.

Peter Julian, the House leader, said in a statement, "Liberals and Conservatives point fingers at each other when both receive favours from their wealthy friends, but refuse to change the rules because they benefit both."

"The New Democrats want to see a review of the Conflict of Interest Act to monitor the influence on business and lobbying in politics, so that Canadians advance every day, not just the very wealthy."

Earlier this month, the National newspaper reported that Trudeau was staying at a luxury property owned by his long-time friend Peter Green, the Canadian press did not independently verify the information, and officials refused to confirm Trudeau's place of residence.