Government officials, including Delta MP Carla Qualtrough, are facing some online backlash over travel to Ottawa that did not allow them proper social distancing protocols.
Last weekend, members of three Canadian political parties hopped on a government jet to travel to Ottawa to pass emergency economic legislation. The flight included Qualtrough, Green Party Leader Elizabeth May and Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer and his family.
May said travelling to Ottawa to debate the wage-subsidy bill would mean going through four airports — Victoria, Vancouver, Toronto and Ottawa, which she said terrified her, so the offer from the Prime Minister’s Office, which arranged the flight, was a welcome one.
The nine-seater jet wasn’t crowded on Friday’s flight, but it was impossible to maintain physical distancing, said May.
“I would have felt safer maintaining the six-foot radius,” May said. “We were accepting we would not have social distance for us, but I think it was the right thing to do to give Jill and the kids a ride. We were all very careful and I’m sure it was all fine. I hope so.”
When Jill Scheer got on board, she told May they had been self-isolating at home, May said.
On Saturday, May stood in the House of Commons and thanked Qualtrough and Scheer for sharing the government jet with her.
The Optimist reached out to Qualtrough’s office for comment and received this response:
“During these exceptional circumstances brought on by pandemic, when possible the government has sought to accommodate government aircraft requests from MPs and senators who must travel long distances in order to participate in the emergency sittings of Parliament. Following a request by the official Opposition, arrangements were made to provide the leader of the Opposition and his family with one-way travel to Ottawa to attend the emergency sitting of the House of Commons.”
With files from Louise Dickson/Times Colonist
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