PPC leader Maxime Bernier makes stop in Lethbridge during southern Alberta tour

“That would give the right incentive to other provinces, like Quebec and New Brunswick, to develop their own natural resources, so that will be a subject for the next election.”

He took aim at current Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as well as the leader of the Opposition, Conservative Erin O’Toole, noting that he was the only federal party leader in Ottawa to celebrate Canada Day on July 1.

Bernier said, he “was there to celebrate our heritage, to celebrate our culture. I’m against the ‘woke culture’ and these leftists that are saying that there’s systemic racism in this country. We don’t believe that.”

“There’s only a racist Act in our country [and] that’s the Indian Act and we want to abolish that.”

Bernier during Sunday’s event in Lethbridge. (Lethbridge News Now)

The PPC leader addressed Bill C-36. The bill aimed to amend the Criminal Code of Canada to recognize internet hate speech.

Bernier said for his party, “it’s an excuse to censor us on social media, so we are speaking for more freedom”

“We are against censorship and I think everybody must be free to say what they want to say on social media. That’s not happening right now. We have some censorship from the big tech and the federal government.”

He said, “our end goal is we want to put our country first. We want to put Canadians first and we have a platform that is in line with our principles.”

In 2019, the PPC received 1.6 per cent of the vote in the federal election. Bernier believes that number can grow to four or five per cent come the next election.

He added that, “in 2019, that was the first year for our party and we had 1.6 per cent of the vote but [that’s] actually not too bad because it took 20 years and six elections for the Green Party of Canada to have more than 1.6 per cent of the vote and we did that in our first year.”

Bernier speaking in front of the crowd at the Henderson Lake Park Gunnery Point Picnic Shelter. (Lethbridge News Now)

The PPC leader said his party is speaking about issues other ‘traditional leaders’ are not touching on, such as separatism. He stated that, “I think people appreciate that we are the only party that wants to fix western alienation. I understand that there’s a separatist movement here in Alberta.”

“I’m a federalist; I believe in this country, but we must do bold reforms to be sure that separatist movement won’t be successful. When I’m speaking about ending the equalization formula and changing the formula, when ‘m speaking for pipelines all across the country, that we can do that – the federal government can use the Constitution to be sure that we will be able to have pipelines all across the country, people appreciate that.”

Bernier said the solution for people in favor of separatism is “more autonomy to the provincial government.”

“You know, Alberta can have the same powers as Quebec. In Quebec, they are able to select their immigrants – why not Alberta and why not the other provinces? So, we want to have a decentralized federal government, and I think people appreciate that here.”

INDIGENOUS RELATIONS

When asked about the relationship between Ottawa and Indigenous peoples across the country, Bernier said the PPC would help create “a new relationship with First Nations”.

He said, “we want them to be more prosperous and the way to do that is to have, kind of, property rights on reserves.”

“We will abolish the Indian Act, but the other question is – by what? What will be the new relationship? I’ll be honest with you, I don’t have that answer right now, we must sit with them and have a discussion and that’s what we’re ready to do.”

KIMMIE HOVAN

Accompanying Bernier in Lethbridge was the riding’s PPC candidate, Kimmie Hovan. The local small business owner said, “I don’t like politics and in the last election, I had a really hard time trying to decide where I was going to vote.”

She explained that one day, she was driving around Lethbridge when she saw a sign advertising the People’s Party of Canada. After researching the party and its platform, she decided to get involved and start the nomination process.

“It’s a new thing for me, I’m excited for the challenge excited to learn and excited to have a voice for those around us.”

She called being elected ‘a grandiose vision’, especially when going up against current MP for the Lethbridge riding, Conservative Rachael Harder, but noted that she’s looking forward to getting out into the community to garner support.

Hovan stated that, “my goal is to spread the word for the PPC – for people to understand there is another voice, another voice that is out there to express freedoms and our rights, for those who don’t think they have a voice.”

“It’s just speaking the truth. That’s what the PPC is about – it’s about having a voice and standing up for what is right and true.”

To wrap up Sunday’s tour of Southern Alberta, the PPC held meet and greets in both Taber and Medicine Hat.

by Justin Goulet

PPC leader Maxime Bernier makes stop in Lethbridge during southern Alberta tour

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