Federal election candidates vying to represent the Lethbridge riding discussed a mixed bag of topics in the third and final forum scheduled along the campaign trail Wednesday night.
The event was hosted by the Lethbridge Public Library at its Main Branch in the downtown, with all candidates participating, including:
- Amber Murray – Green Party of Canada
- Clara Piedalue – People’s Party of Canada
- Marc Slingerland – Christian Heritage Party of Canada
- Chris Spearman – Liberal Party of Canada
- Nathan Svoboda – New Democratic Party
- Rachael Thomas – Conservative Party of Canada (incumbent)
Some of the topics for the night included the ongoing trade war and tariffs imposed by United States President Donald Trump, affordability, and the idea of what some electors would call a “strategic vote”.
“We’re not a strategic vote here. The only strategic vote here, honestly, is for second place, and I would encourage people to vote with their hearts, especially the kids,” says Green Party candidate Amber Murray, speaking with local reporters following the forum.
“I encourage the 18 to 34-year-olds to get out [and vote] because none of the big parties are talking to you or even caring about you right now, and we’re heading into a world where your future is really coming into it and you need to have your voice heard.”
Murray adds that she feels Canada is being more ‘Americanized’ under the current administration. “We’re getting further away from Parliamentary representation for everybody, and it worries me,” she remarks.
Clara Piedalue with the People’s Party of Canada says it is time to restore power and choices “back to the people”, particularly when it comes to spending.
“It’s time to restore power back to the people by getting the federal government out of our wallets and freedom of speech and to reduce taxes to give more choices to Canadians on how they spend their money,” she remarks.
“For Lethbridge, I believe that it’s important that we show Ottawa that we have strong values and strong convictions. We are an amazing community, a family community, a community that supports our most vulnerable populations and I think sending a candidate to Parliament who is going to fight for farmers, fight for businesses and fight for families is what’s important,” Piedalue adds.
She says despite some name-calling she has heard about regarding her fellow PPC candidates, “Lethbridge has been very warm” and “has respected my voice and given me ample opportunity to present the PPC platform”.
Chris Spearman, the Liberal candidate, served as Lethbridge’s mayor from 2013 to 2021.
He says major issues that are at the top of his priority list include, “protecting our economy and our water from the coal mine”, as well as “speaking up for the agri-food industry”.
“We don’t have oil and gas in Lethbridge, we don’t have that kind of an economy, it’s all agri-food, so we have to protect against the tariffs, and we have to protect against the coal mine and the possible damage that will do.”
Coal mining in the eastern slopes was an issue discussed at a previous candidates’ forum hosted by the Lethbridge and District Chamber of Commerce.
READ MORE: Local all candidates forum addresses issues including coal mining, cost of living
Spearman hopes voters do their research and think carefully before they head to the polls.
“There is a strong and a large Conservative base in this area. We’re coming from second place, we know that, and we know that there is [considerable] Conservative support so overcoming 40,000 baked-in votes is going to be a challenge,” he adds.
Marc Slingerland, representing the Christian Heritage Party, says a focus for his party is the ‘right to life’. “Ultimately no other right is meaningful without the right to life, so for us, defending the value of every human life from conception to natural death, pushing back against Canada’s euthanasia regime is issue number one,” he states.
Slingerland encourages those who lean more toward the Conservative side of the political spectrum to consider a vote for the CHP.
“If you are on the Conservative side of the spectrum, but you respect good ideas from wherever they come, then you do not have to vote for the Conservative party just because they’re the biggest,” he says.
“There is the Christian Heritage Party, which will allow you to stand for true Conservative principles and give our MP a message within her own caucus that small government and the value of life and the foundational importance of families are things that Lethbridge and southern Alberta values and wants her to stand for.”
Affordability issues came up during the event, with NDP candidate Nathan Svoboda saying the cost-of-living crisis is something he takes very seriously.
“I and the New Democrats are dedicated to addressing that and addressing that in a practical way that actually benefits workers, not just the wealthy,” he says.
“By supporting our social programs, supporting dental care, PharmaCare, supporting workers with anti-scab legislation and not using return to work legislation and by reducing the income tax on the first $20,000 people make to zero, and eliminating the GST tax on essentials like home heating, groceries, cell phones – the kinds of things you need to be active in our society – this is how we address the cost-of-living crisis for the working people,” Svoboda adds, echoing statements made during the Lethbridge Chamber forum.
On the idea of ‘strategic votes’, Svoboda says the country cannot “keep going back and forth as if Canada is a two-party system and if we want the change, we’re going to have to vote for it and we can”.
“I feel the most strategic vote is to vote for the party that is actually going to put forward electoral reform because then ultimately, in the future we don’t need to keep feeling like we need to strategically vote and compromise our values.”
Incumbent Rachael Thomas with the Conservatives took aim at the Liberals, saying Mark Carney’s party is trying to “trick Canadians into electing them” for another term.
“They have swapped out their leader, but they have kept the same Cabinet ministers and many of the same MPs. These are the same folks that hiked the carbon tax, that chose to take a massive debt load on for our country and who made life unaffordable for you.”
Thomas says affordability is the number one concern she has heard from door-knocking.
“The sense of safety and security that we once enjoyed is gone. The ability to retire with confidence that the economy would stay strong and that our investments would continue to grow – that too, has dissipated,” she states.
The incumbent touches on the United States and Trump administration.
“Trump is a real threat, no doubt, but groceries were expensive, housing was unaffordable, and crime was skyrocketing – doing business in Canada was difficult long before Trump came onto the scene. We have to stand up to him, absolutely, but there is so much more,” Thomas says.
“We have to fight for workers, and we have to ensure that Canada remains independent and self-reliant and to this end, Conservatives are ready to work for Canadians. A Conservative government will restore the Canadian promise – that through hard work and perseverance, anyone can succeed.”
Advance voting in the 2025 federal election is open on Good Friday through to Easter Monday, with general voting day set for Monday, April 28.
READ MORE: Need to know before you vote: 2025 federal election
