Lethbridge MP Rachael Harder

By Connor Gunn

Lethbridge MP Rachael Thomas reflects on 2021, hopeful about new year

Dec 31, 2021 | 7:00 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – Lethbridge Member of Parliament (MP), Rachael Thomas, says the past year has certainly had its ups and downs but 2022 is looking bright.

As we all have experienced the COVID-19 pandemic in Lethbridge, Alberta, and Canada, Thomas says she’s grateful for resilient locals.

“People have had to respond to those and I think that’s been really difficult. And I’m really proud of our community. I’m really proud of those who call Lethbridge home and the way that they have been incredibly resilient. They have worked very, very hard at overcoming and especially those who run local businesses. They’ve had an extremely challenging time.”

In Parliament, Thomas says they have faced a number of challenges opposing the Liberals.

“I think for myself as a member of Parliament, it’s definitely been a challenging year. It’s been challenging to see the Liberals, in particular, it’s been challenging to see the prime minister function with a severe level of hypocrisy.”

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“On one side, he says there’s no more important relationship than his one with indigenous folk. And yet he went to Tofino on our very first National Day of Truth and Reconciliation. He was nowhere to be found.”

On the topic of firearms, Thomas says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is making the wrong call.

“He wants to take firearms off the streets. And yet he put in place, he just recently he introduced Bill C-5, which actually makes it easier to commit crimes with a firearm. There will no longer be mandatory minimum sentences attached to it. There will no longer be mandatory minimum sentences attached to those who traffic firearms illegally. There will no longer be mandatory sentences attached to those who discharge a firearm with intent or who rob, with a firearm, or extort with a firearm?”

“So on one side of his face, Mr. Trudeau is saying that he wants to clean up communities and make sure that they’re safe and take guns off the streets, but he’s simultaneously making it easier than ever to be a criminal,” Thomas says.

Not everything was gloomy this year, Thomas adds, saying Bill C-10 being stopped by the Federal Conservatives was certainly a positive to look at.

“Bill C-10, which is a censorship bill. It would have prevented individuals from posting certain things online. It would have hindered freedom of speech within the public square. It would have determined what is Canadian enough to stay on YouTube and what has to get pulled down.”

“I’m incredibly proud of the work that my team and I did to fight against this bill, to raise awareness, and I’m really proud of Canadians. I’m really proud of Canadians for speaking up for having their voices heard, for telling the government to back off. I’m really proud of Canadians for defending their freedom.”

“The point is Bill C-10 is dead, and I’m really proud of that.”

For 2022, Thomas hopes that people are kind and understanding to one another.

“I guess my hope for 2022 is that Canadians are kind to one another. My hope is that we lean in and listen, but we take time to understand. Because right now, we are being torn apart. And I am watching as family members are pitted against one another. Friends are pitted against one another.”

“My hope is that going forward, as Canadians, we choose not to follow Trudeau’s example in divisive politics and a way of life that is incredibly demonstrative and demonizing towards certain individuals, but rather that as Canadians, we show ourselves to be peaceable, understanding, compassionate.”