Local candidates expecting federal election call - race underway in Lethbridge riding
Jobs, leadership and handling of the pandemic moving forward are expected to be among the issues in the Lethbridge riding as candidates prepare for the upcoming federal election campaign.
At this point, three parties have selected their candidates for the election that will be held Sept. 20.
It has been less than two years since the last federal election, which saw Rachael Harder, of the Conservative Party of Canada re-elected for a second term, by gathering over 65 per cent of the vote.
Harder, who believes in being prepared, said there were signs of an early election, and she has already been door knocking.
“Together with my team we’ve knocked on over 10,000 doors so far this summer,” said Harder.
ECONOMIC RECOVERY
She added one of the biggest topics at the door-step has been economic recovery.
“They’re telling me life is less affordable than ever,” said Harder.
“Some people are talking about jobs that have been lost, jobs that are being looked for, and wanting to know there is hope for them as a family or an individual.”
Harder was travelling back to the riding from Ottawa on Monday. She maintains this election will be about which leader is best equipped to elevate and empower Canadians, “I would say that Trudeau has actually hindered Canadians from being their best selves. Instead he has positioned himself in such a way that the government will do it for Canadians.”
Local Liberal candidate Devon Hargreaves said there were signs an election was coming. He said the COVID-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented challenges for the province and country, and the government is seeking a mandate to determine how to move the country forward over the next four years.
Hargreaves said Albertans have already seen what a Conservative government looks like in the form of Jason Kenney’s provincial government, “He’s a former (federal) cabinet minister," Hargreaves said. "Now we are seeing what that conservative mindset and mandate is doing to Alberta.”
Hargreaves said there are a lot of people are hurting from the cuts the UCP government made in Alberta.
“My fear is that if the Conservatives were to win an election, we would be looking at that on a national scale.”
Hargreaves maintains the federal Liberal government has been there for Canadians, by offering benefits to the agriculture industry, and starting to move toward $10 a day child care across the nation.
“Lethbridge deserves a seat at the table in Ottawa," he said.
PEOPLE'S PARTY
The People’s Party of Canada will be represented by Lethbridge small business owner Kimmie Hovan, who said she wants to be a voice for everyday Canadians.
“This campaign is basically trying to let people see they have another voice within this country,” said Hovan, who decided to get involved in March of last year, as the pandemic was beginning.
“We’ve had three main parties so long, and we just cycle through them. In order to have change you have to break the cycle,” added Hovan.
The PPC is against further lockdowns and is opposed to the concept of vaccine passports.
Party founder and current leader Maxime Bernier has been strongly critical of public health measures taken to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and travelled to anti-lockdown protests throughout the country in 2021. In June Bernier was arrested and fined by the RCMP in Manitoba after attending a rally against restrictions.
Hovan said she expects handling of COVID-19 will be one of the issues during this campaign, but said more focus should be placed on issues such as improving the economy and building resources.
Hovan admits it will be a challenge to represent a party that gathered just over 1,000 votes in the Lethbridge riding in 2019, compared to almost 41,000 for Rachael Harder.
During the last federal election there were six candidates in the Lethbridge Riding. The NDP, Christian Heritage Party of Canada and Green Party of Canada have not yet announced candidates in Lethbridge.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
An Ontario senior thought he called Geek Squad for help with his printer. Instead, he got scammed out of $25,000
An Ontario senior’s attempt to get technical help online led him into a spoofing scam where he lost $25,000. Now, he’s sharing his story to warn others.
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.