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OTTAWA — Conservative leader Andrew Scheer fended off criticism on Tuesday after his family of seven flew to Ottawa on a small government jet, saying the decision was not at odds with the advice of public health officials.

Speaking to reporters, Scheer said passengers aboard the nine-seat Challenger jet, which was taking Scheer and two other MPs back to Ottawa for the spring Parliamentary session, took every precaution to limit the potential spread of the COVID-19 virus, including avoiding “speaking moistly on each other.” The Conservative leader pushed back against criticism that he and his family put the small jet at full capacity, making social distancing impossible for other passengers.

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“The idea that we were packed one on top of each other is just ridiculous,” Scheer said. “We kept our distance, we kept to ourselves.”

Scheer took his wife, Jill, and his five children aboard the plane. It first picked up Green Party MP Elizabeth May and Employment Minister Carla Qualtrough in British Columbia, before collecting Scheer in Regina along with his wife and children, which brought the plane to full capacity. The story was first reported by the CBC.