People’s Party of Canada (PPC) Maxime Bernier admitted to violating COVID-19 public health orders in a Winnipeg court Tuesday..However, Bernier’s lawyer Alex Stiegerwald stressed the admission was not a guilty plea, the CBC reported..Judge Anne Krahn scolded Bernier for one violation and ordered him to pay a total of $2,008.30 —a $1,296 fine plus court costs and surcharges for the other..Two charges for failing to isolate were stayed..Bernier’s admission to violating public health orders stemmed from June 2021 when he held small rallies in rural southern Manitoba towns..The number in attendance exceeded the number of people allowed to gather under provincial COVID-19 mandates..Tuesday’s court appearance came on the heels of Bernier announcing Friday he will run in the June 19 Portage-Lisgar federal byelection. .Bernier seeks to fill the seat that was held since 2008 by Candice Bergen. The former Conservative Party interim leader, stepped down in February..Bernier was arrested June 19, 2022 after appearing at a rally protesting COVID-19 mandates..About a dozen attended the rally in St-Pierre-Jolys, 57 km south of Winnipeg..After the rally ended, Bernier was headed to another rally in a nearby rural community. .RCMP pulled him over, handcuffed him and put him in the backseat of a cruiser. He served 12 hours in jail. .He was charged with violating public health orders..Bernier had been ticketed at an earlier rally that day in the nearby town. .Throughout the pandemic Bernier rallied against “draconian” pandemic restrictions..“I was the only leader of a national party that was ready to do that fight for freedom,” said Bernier in Portage la Prairie when he announced he’ll run in Portage-Lisgar..“I was handcuffed and put in jail for a non-crime here in this province because I was fighting for freedom for everybody, freedom of choice.’.“I said we must unite every Canadian under the freedom umbrella.”.Conservative Branden Leslie, Bergen’s former campaign manager, will run in the riding. .In the 2021 federal election PPC fared best in Portage-Lisgar, capturing 22% of the vote. Bergen was re-elected with 55%..Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Sunday four federal byelections, including Portage-Lisgar, will be held June 19. .A byelection in Calgary Heritage will be called after the May 29 provincial election..Bernier served as a cabinet minister in former prime minister Stephen Harper’s government..He left the party after coming in a close second to Andrew Scheer in the leadership race and launched the PPC..Bernier has 30 days to pay his fine.
