MAXIME BERNIER DENIES THAT HE FLOUTED MASK-WEARING RULES ON A FLIGHT THIS WEEK, CONTRADICTING TWO SOURCES WHO SAY HE WAS MET BY POLICE IN MONTREAL AFTER REFUSING TO COVER HIS FACE ON THE PLANE.

Rejects report he received $1,500 fine

Maxime Bernier denies that he flouted Transport Canada's mask-wearing rules on a flight this week, contradicting two independent sources who say the People's Party of Canada leader was met by police in Montreal after refusing to cover his face on the plane.

The sources, both familiar with the incident on a Toronto-to-Montreal Air Canada flight Tuesday, said the populist politician did not don a mask as required, prompting law-enforcement involvement.

One person said Bernier, who has repeatedly spoken out against pandemic-related public health rules, was handed a fine of more than $1,500 by Montreal police officers.

The sources declined to be named as they were not authorized to speak publicly about the episode.

When first queried about the incident Wednesday, Bernier told a National Post reporter by text that “your facts are wrong.”

“I was wearing a mask and did not receive any fine.”

He elaborated Thursday when asked for 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 told me to put it back up and said he would alert the airport security. They met me when I got off the plane, listened to my explanations, and that was it.”

Air Canada declined to comment, with spokesman Peter Fitzpatrick saying the airline does not discuss such issues for privacy reasons.

A Montreal police service media relations officer said the force, which patrols Montreal-Trudeau International Airport, also does not comment on or confirm public health tickets of that sort.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees, which represents Air Canada flight attendants, refused as well to speak about the specific incident involving Bernier.

But the union said it decried such behaviour generally. “This is basic stuff,” said Wesley Lesosky, president of the Air Canada component of CUPE, in a statement. “Public health measures are in place to protect essential workers and the most vulnerable. Political leaders should be setting the example for observing these measures, not publicly flouting them.”

A CBC report in December said at least 72 passengers in Canada had been fined or issued warnings for not wearing masks on board planes.

Bernier has been opposed to many of the public health measures governments have adopted to try to stem the spread of COVID-19, arguing that lockdowns are a civil rights violation.

In October, he took part in a protest against social distancing rules outside the Ontario legislature, led by controversial MPP Randy Hillier.

The Canadian Press reported last week that Bernier went to Florida in the fall, at a time when such non-essential travel was actively discouraged by the federal government.

He has more recently chastised other politicians for travelling out of the country in the Christmas holiday period, accusing them of hypocrisy.

“Let me make this very clear: The problem is NOT that they travelled abroad,” Bernier said on Twitter. “It's that they publicly agree with the silly authoritarian rules imposed on Canadians AND THEN FLOUT THEM.”

On Twitter Thursday, Bernier mentioned that he had just been in Ontario to meet with Hillier and MP Derek Sloan about the formation of a “lockdown caucus” to oppose pandemic public health laws.