Maxime Bernier denies he disregarded mask principles on Air Canada flight or was fined

Maxime Bernier denies that he flouted Transportation Canada’s mask-donning guidelines on a flight this 7 days, contradicting two independent resources who say the People’s Celebration of Canada leader was achieved by law enforcement in Montreal immediately after refusing to address his face on the aircraft.

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People’s Party of Canada Leader Maxime Bernier removes a mask as he comes for a information convention in Ottawa, August 24, 2020.

The sources, both of those common with the incident on a Toronto-to-Montreal Air Canada flight Tuesday, explained the populist politician did not don a mask as demanded, prompting legislation-enforcement involvement.

1 man or woman mentioned Bernier, who has frequently spoken out from pandemic-related public health procedures, was handed a high-quality of additional than $1,500 by Montreal police officers.

The sources declined to be named as they have been not licensed to converse publicly about the episode.

When first queried about the incident Wednesday, Bernier instructed a Nationwide Put up reporter by textual content that “your points are wrong.”

“I was sporting a mask and did not acquire any wonderful.”

He elaborated Thursday when questioned for even further comment.

“I had my mask on all the time but it was under my nose after I woke up,” texted Bernier. “The flight attendant advised me to place it back up and reported he would inform the airport stability. They fulfilled me when I bought off the airplane, listened to my explanations, and that was it.”

Air Canada declined to remark, with spokesman Peter Fitzpatrick stating the airline does not discuss such problems for privateness factors.

A Montreal law enforcement service media relations officer mentioned the drive, which patrols Montreal-Trudeau Intercontinental Airport, also does not comment on or confirm general public wellbeing tickets of that kind.

The Canadian Union of Community Workforce, which signifies Air Canada flight attendants, refused as properly to discuss about the precise incident involving Bernier.

But the union said it decried these conduct normally.

“This is essential things,” reported Wesley Lesosky, president of the Air Canada Ingredient of CUPE, in a statement. “Public well being measures are in location to secure essential employees and the most susceptible. Political leaders really should be location the example for observing these actions, not publicly flouting them.”

A CBC report in December mentioned at the very least 72 passengers in Canada experienced been fined or issued warning letters considering that the pandemic began for not carrying masks on board planes.

Bernier has been opposed to lots of of the public health and fitness steps governments have adopted to test to stem the spread of COVID-19, arguing that lockdowns are a civil rights violation.

In October, he took element in a protest from social distancing policies outside the house the Ontario legislature, led by controversial MPP Randy Hillier.

The Canadian Push described final 7 days that Bernier went to Florida in the fall , at a time when this kind of non-essential travel was actively discouraged by the federal govt.

He has additional lately chastised other politicians for travelling out of the region in the Christmas vacation interval, accusing them of hypocrisy.

“Let me make this extremely crystal clear: The issue is NOT that they travelled overseas,” Bernier stated on Twitter. “It’s that they publicly concur with the foolish authoritarian policies imposed on Canadians AND THEN FLOUT THEM.”

On Twitter Thursday, Bernier mentioned that he experienced just been in Ontario to meet up with with MPP Hillier and MP Derek Sloan, both equally ejected from their respective Conservative caucuses, about the formation of a “lockdown caucus” to oppose pandemic general public well being laws.

“We want to be absolutely sure that Canadians will have again their independence and we want to have a actual debate in this region about the implications of these lockdowns and curfews.”

Hillier has been frequently chastised for spreading disinformation about the pandemic.

Bernier, a former cupboard minister in the govt of Stephen Harper, quit the Conservative occasion in 2018 soon after narrowly getting rid of a management contest to Andrew Scheer. He then shaped the People’s Occasion, but shed his Beauce using in Quebec in the 2019 federal election.

Bernier ran in a Toronto byelection final calendar year but shed to Liberal Ya’ara Saks.

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