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Airdrie-East MLA joins 'End the Lockdown' caucus

Challenging her own government's pandemic response, Airdrie-East MLA Angela Pitt has joined End the Lockdowns Caucus, a national group that is critical of provincial and federal COVID-19 restrictions.

Going against her own government's pandemic response, Airdrie-East MLA Angela Pitt has joined End the Lockdowns Caucus, a national group that is challenging provincial and federal COVID-19 restrictions.

“I read through the website and thought about how this is exactly what my constituents have been talking with me about – a clear and transparent process in terms of government response to COVID-19 [and] focusing resources to protect the most vulnerable while opening up the rest of the economy," she said. "It was an easy choice.”

The End the Lockdowns national caucus is part of a group called Liberty Coalition Canada (LCC). According to LCC's website, the focus of the coalition is centred on “seek[ing] to provide formal challenges to current COVID-19 policies" with an emphasis on challenging governments' use of province-wide lockdowns and stay-at-home orders to combat the spread of COVID-19.

Pitt said joining the national coalition is her way of advocating for more honest public debate about the government’s current pandemic response.

“I’ve been hearing pretty loud and clear from business owners in our community that aren’t able to operate their businesses, and they don’t even know why,” she said. “That is hugely problematic for people in this constituency. It’s not fair to have businesses closed where it doesn’t appear to make sense. We need to make sure we are moving forward in truth as governments make these decisions.”

The LCC’s site also stated the caucus was formed in response to what it claims are “unprecedented mass violations of Canadian’s Charter Rights from government across the country.” Other politicians who have joined the caucus include Rocky View County councillor and former reeve Greg Boehlke, Cypress-Medicine Hat MLA Drew Barnes and Maxime Bernier, the leader of the People’s Party of Canada.

According to Pitt, Alberta hasn’t experienced a full economic lockdown, although there have been extreme measures that have irreparably harmed businesses.

“I will commend the premier for not being as bad as the rest of the country when it comes to lockdowns,” she said. “Some areas have been completely shut down and in many of those instances, the case has yet to be made that is where the problematic numbers are coming from.”

As an example, Pitt said she has spoken to many local gym owners, who say they have not had a single case of the virus come through their doors.

“If they have, it hasn’t come from the gym so why are they being punished? Why have they been chosen as the place that can’t continue to operate?” she said. “Those are the things that I am standing beside them with in seeking those answers.”

The safe path forward, according to Pitt, involves ensuring transparency with government measures.

“We absolutely have to protect the most vulnerable, we have to ensure we have a responsive health-care system,” she said.  “Arbitrarily shutting down pieces of our economy that don’t appear to have problems contributing to the pandemic need to be removed from government restrictions.”

While opposition NDP members have argued Pitt's actions undermine the Alberta government, Premier Jason Kenney defended her decision to join the End the Lockdowns Caucus on Feb. 10, saying it is an issue of free speech.

“We, unlike some other parties, allow people to speak their minds and represent the views of their constituents,” Kenney said during a virtual news conference.

“Whenever our caucus meets, the impact of COVID policies is a lively topic for discussion."

Pitt said the response to news breaking of her joining the LCC's caucus has been mostly positive.

“Not everyone agrees, and some people think I deny the science of COVID-19, which is absolutely not the case," she said. "We know that there are some measures that mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and protect our healthcare system. We can be doing those things and focus our efforts in those areas, if we leave the non-problematic areas alone. People agree with that.”

Pitt also stressed her concerns regarding information surrounding restrictions, claiming there isn’t enough data to justify shutting down gyms, dance studios or restaurants.

“There is a lot of right and wrong ways through this, if we listen and respect each other, there is a better way,” she said.

“If you are going to take away people’s livelihoods, you better be darn sure about the reasons for doing it."

Jordan Stricker, AirdrieToday.com
Follow me on Twitter @Jay_Strickz

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