Hargreaves says the Liberal Party has Canadian’s backs

By Tim Kalinowski on August 31, 2021.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDtkalinowski@lethbridgeherald.com

Lethbridge federal Liberal Party candidate Devon Hargreaves says his party is the only party that has proven time and again it has Canadians’ backs, and particularly through the last 17 months of the pandemic.
Hargreaves says all Lethbridge residents have to do is look at the actions of the current United Conservative Party government in Alberta to know what the federal Conservatives intend for all Canadians if they somehow form government in this election.
“We see what a Conservative government has done to our province,” he says. “We see the cuts, the amount of damage that is being done. And to put it frankly, Lethbridge cannot afford a Conservative government at the federal level.”
Hargreaves, who also ran for the Alberta Liberal Party in this last provincial election, explains this point further.
“We see the Conservatives balance the budget via cuts,” he says by way of example. “It doesn’t have the best interest of Canadians at heart. And it would do more harm than good. We have a Liberal government that has stepped up and ensured all Canadians are looked after and taken care of the last 17 months. We have CERB in place, and we have a lot more coming down the pipeline as far as $10 a day childcare. I would really like to see that brought into Alberta. That helps our middle class. That helps everyday families. And that helps women who are looking to get back into the workforce.”
Hargreaves also points to the Liberals’ promises to increase the Guaranteed Income supplement for low-income seniors and the government’s housing strategy, which will be in large part funded by tax increases on banks and insurance companies, which seeks to make it easier for first time homeowners to purchase in the market.
“This week we announced, if re-elected, additional taxes on those that have benefited the most out of COVID,” he says. “We are looking at insurance companies, banks to help raise revenue, and the revenue raised from those additional taxes will go toward incentivizing first time homebuyers by providing additional supports. And the shift is going to make people more sustainable and more secure that in the event we ever have to do this (public health response to a pandemic) again housing is not such a concern.”
Hargreaves goes on to criticize the Conservative Party of Canada’s efforts to block a total ban on Conversion Therapy, and local incumbent Rachael Harder, in particular, who voted against a bill which had its origins in Lethbridge. Hargreaves co-wrote the original Canada-wide petition which gave rise to Bill C-6.
“It is a shame the Conservatives delayed that legislation,” he says. “Half that party voted against it, including our own elected Member here in Lethbridge. It was a petition that started in Lethbridge. We got it banned at the municipal level. And the people of Lethbridge made it very clear this is legislation they wanted to see put in place. And the fact our own elected MP could not support that is very disconcerting.
“Conversion Therapy is torture,” Hargreaves emphasizes, “and what the Conservative Party and what the members that voted against that legislation wanted was to water that bill down until it was irrelevant.”
Hargreaves hopes to have the opportunity to take care of that unfinished business if elected, and to work hard to address all the needs of Lethbridge riding citizens at the federal level.
“Since moving to Lethbridge in 2011, I have been a staunch advocate for multiple facets of this community,” he states. “I started out advocating for post-secondary cuts against the Redford government, and moved on to representing Lethbridge PrideFest for two years as chair ending in 2018. From there, we launched into the fight to ban Conversion Therapy– both here at the municipal level as well as at the federal level. And I can promise Lethbridge, if elected, I will fight just as hard to continue to represent our great region as an elected official.”
Hargreaves was asked about recent criticisms Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has faced about Canada’s failure to secure safe passage for all our Afghani allies in the face of a Taliban resurgence in the country.
“I think Justin Trudeau has very much indicated the Taliban are terrorists,” Hargreaves states. “They are on the (terror) watchlist for Canada, and we have done what we can to get the individuals who assisted on the ground out … My heart goes out to the people on the ground. To those who have worked to assist Canadians and our allies. Our government remains committed to doing what we can to support refugees and those that worked with us there.”
At the end of the day, Hargreaves says his leader and his party have a proven track record which puts middle class families and working class Canadians first.
“We are the best progressive option in this election,” he states. “As far as moving forward, we have clear goals we are laying out as far as we are hoping to accomplish. We have a clear track record of what we have already accomplished during the last 17 months of this pandemic. And we are going to continue to move forward for all Canadians.”

Follow @TimKalHerald on Twitter

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