The initial photo was accompanied by the hashtags NousVivonsUnMensonge (#wearelivinigalie) and EnFinirAvecLeConfinement (#nomorelockdowns).
Mr Hillier has since reposted his photo twice, accompanying it with comments defying authority or denying the existence of the pandemic.
I will always remain free, it is my life and I enjoy it, it is not at the discretion of the whims of others, it is at home and I can welcome those I choose. The government will never determine who I can accommodate in MY house, it’s mine, not his
, he wrote in the early hours of Monday.
Then, a few minutes later, Mr. Hillier reposted the same photo with the following comment: Lies and deceptions [liés à la] COVID are over. It will take years to discover how and why so many have been fooled, but I and many other Canadians will no longer accept the deception. We are free and will defend our freedom.
These posts sparked an avalanche of comments and reposting.
Pan-provincial containment began on December 26, and all private gatherings are prohibited. Prior to this date, the region where Mr. Hillier lives was in zone orange
, which means that private gatherings were limited to a maximum of 10 people.
Present at many anti-mask events
Mr. Hillier, who is an independent member of Parliament, is familiar with the anti-mask protests of recent months in Ontario.
Earlier this month, the member for Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston stood up for his two sons who were arrested at a Perth, Ontario bar in an incident involving some people who refused to wear masks indoors . In a letter sent to the provincial police directorate, Mr. Hillier described the health rules asunconstitutional
.
Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston MP Randy Hillier (Archives)
Photo: Radio-Canada
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His opposition to health measures had also forced a debate on the extension of the state of health emergency in the House this spring.
Not on his first escapades
Randy Hillier has served at Queen’s Park as an Independent Member of Parliament since he was kicked out of the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party caucus in 2019.
He had been kicked out following controversial comments that appeared to target parents of autistic children.
He later accused Doug Ford’s advisers of illegal lobbying
.
An investigation has been opened in this direction by the Ontario Provincial Police.
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