The federal election will occur on April 28 and candidates are in full campaigning mode across the nation, including in Lethbridge.
Five candidates have so far identified themselves in the southern Alberta city, representing the Conservative Party of Canada, Liberals, NDP, Green Party and People’s Party of Canada.
Conservatives: Rachael Thomas
Three-time Conservative incumbent Rachael Thomas (née Harder) kicked off her re-election campaign in front of supporters at her campaign headquarters on Tuesday evening, declaring her party as the “Canada-first” choice.
“Our priority as conservatives is to restore affordability for Canadians, it’s to restore our economy, it’s to make sure that people are able to live the lives that they deserve to live here in this beautiful country.”
Thomas says the current Mark Carney-led Liberal government is masquerading as a new-look centrist party, but it’s the same group who has called the shots in Canada since 2015.
“Carney is a new leader, but the party is the exact same. His cabinet is 87-per cent unchanged. So, he’s brought the same people to the table, the same people who have wrecked our economy,” said Thomas.
She says her own record as a member of parliament is worth pointing out to voters.
“I think as the Conservative candidate for this area, I have a strong record of advocating for this community.
“I want to be a good listener and I want to be a strong representative in our nation’s capital.”
“I’ve put my best foot forward to do that well, whether that’s hosting multiple town halls every single year or taking one-on-one meetings or going to businesses and meeting with folks, hosting roundtables, responding to emails or phone calls, I try to make myself as available as possible to the folks here.”
Thomas says Lethbridge voters have placed trust in her with each passing election and she is hopeful nothing will change in April.
“I’ve had the pleasure of earning their trust three times now and, of course, I’m hoping that I’ll have that opportunity once again.”
Liberals: Chris Spearman
Meanwhile, former Lethbridge mayor Chris Spearman is running for the Liberals despite no longer residing in the city. He says he plans to take a centrist-progressive stance if elected.
“We know that there’s a big conservative constituency in this city. We know going in there’s a pretty solid group of about 40 per cent that’s conservative, so we’ve got our work cut out for us,” he said.
“We’ve got to basically reach out to those people that have traditionally voted Conservative and say that we can offer you some of the same things that you’re hoping for.”
For Spearman, it really does come down to bridging the gap between left and right.
“We can’t succeed just appealing to a Liberal base alone,” said Spearman.
He says he will not move back to Lethbridge full time, even if elected, but will make himself available to constituents on a regular basis.
“I’m only an hour and a half away, I’m living in the mountains — Lethbridge is the hub city for where I live… I think if you ask people, when I was mayor for eight years, I was very involved in the community.”
When it comes to his record as mayor, Spearman says he isn’t looking to rebrand himself in the campaign and he is the same person people knew from his tenure leading Lethbridge.
“I’ve demonstrated that I can be fiscally prudent. I would take that to Ottawa and make sure we challenge the government and the cabinet ministers and the prime minister to make sure taxpayers are getting value for dollars.”
While Thomas and Spearman have extensive political experience, the other three candidates are all outsiders in the world of politics.
Green Party: Amber Murray
The Green Party is putting Amber Murray on the ballot. She moved to Lethbridge in 2023 and says recent concerns over coalmining in the eastern slopes are the primary reasons she has taken a run at office.
“In 2021 I wrote Elizabeth May a letter about (coal mining) and how I was so frustrated and I didn’t know who to talk to and in the west we don’t have MPs — either progressive or environmental MPs — that we can talk to,” she said, “She wrote back to me personally and said ‘here’s the petition, here’s what we’re going to do’.”
Murray says coming in as a political outsider is not a disadvantage, but in some ways an advantage.
“I’m not convinced that a lot of political experience is the best thing for political representation.”
She says she holds respect for her competition — Spearman in particular — but she feels the Green party is still the better overall choice for left-leaning voters, or even some on the right.
“I believe I’m a better choice for a protest vote than the Liberals are. I’m a better choice, if you’re worried about the water, for a protest vote for people who normally vote Conservative than the PPC is.”
Of course, this means Murray admits she is unlikely to win a seat in parliament, though she says a victory for her would be sending a message to the other parties that Lethbridge residents are open to change.
“Getting a community of people who are worried the environment here, getting an electoral association for the Greens going here, getting folks involved in understanding what we can do as the Green party and what someone like Elizabeth May has done,” said Murray.
Above all, Murray stressed her hopes this campaign will be clean and civil for all candidates.
NDP: Nathan Svoboda
Representing the New Democratic Party, Nathan Svoboda, a paramedic with Recovery Alberta, is hoping to capitalize on the Alberta NDP’s momentum following a provincial byelection victory in the Lethbridge-West riding just before Christmas.
“Despite our area being more chronically Conservative, we see that the NDP has been there advocating and fighting for us, despite anything, and that’s who you want.”
The 2021 NDP candidate placed a far second behind Thomas, but Svoboda, a first-time candidate, feels the time is right to close the gap and even overtake the incumbent.
“When it comes to our chances to be able to win, I think absolutely. That all depends on the people of Lethbridge.
“We have a diverse community in Lethbridge, but I believe we’re united in our shared values.”
He says stepping up to run for a seat isn’t a choice for himself, but a choice for the future of everyone in Lethbridge.
“The future isn’t something we wait for, it’s something we’re going to have to fight for. This candidacy doesn’t belong to me, it belongs to everyone in Lethbridge who is willing to stand and fight for the future that we envision.”
PPC: Clara Piedalue
The People’s Party of Canada has Clara Piedalue on the ballot, who is self-employed.
“I decided to take the plunge, step into the ring,” Piedalue said. “It’s true I do not have any political experience, but I think what makes me qualified is that I am a regular human being, a single mom, a business owner whose lived in Lethbridge for 17 years.
“I’ve got some really strong ties to the community.”
She says her party is the best choice for those holding right-wing values.
“I believe in independent freedom and personal responsibility. Those two concepts go hand-in-hand together and I think that a lot of people of Lethbridge would agree that you should be held accountable for the choices you make.”
Despite a fourth-place finish for the Lethbridge PPC candidate in 2021, Piedalue says this year can be the breakthrough the fledgling federal party needs to make waves in Ottawa.
“My mission is to bring the message of the PPC party to the people of Lethbridge. If I am successful in winning the election, we’ll have one big celebration but if that’s not the case, that’s OK because I believe firmly in the principles and the convictions of the PPC party,” said Piedalue.
An all-candidates forum will be held on April 8, hosted by the Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce. This will be an opportunity for residents to meet the candidates before hitting the polls later in the month.