MP Rachael Thomas says inflation factors are “complex”, but PM’s policies have harmed Canadians

By Erika Mathieu
Sunny South News

As we come out of an extremely trying few years following the height of COVID-19 restrictions, Rachael Thomas, Member of Parliament (MP) for the federal electoral district of Lethbridge, told SSN the profound impact of the record-high inflation in Canada is in part a result of the federal government’s decision to increase the printing of money in recent years.

When asked if she believes the federal fiscal policy concerning increasing the money supply is the sole accelerator of inflation, Thomas said, “There are certainly complex factors involved, but it’s not to be forgotten or made light of that the prime minister of this country was warned not to print money and pump the economy full of it. We were told that this would lead to significant detriment to Canadians and the well-being of our economy, and sure enough, here we are.”

Thomas has maintained the federal government’s decision to “print money and pump the economy full of it,” has been a factor of significance in the current record-high inflation and affordability crisis. She said, “I do believe that there have been a number of government policies, and federal government decisions that have been incredibly harmful to the Canadian public. And so, using my voice in Parliament, on behalf of my constituents and on behalf of Canadians, has been really important to me.”

“It’s certainly true Canadian families and individuals are definitely struggling. I think one of the things that concerns me about this is those who are, you know, raising families on a fixed income or those who are raising families on a single income. So, for example, single parents, they often don’t have a lot of expendable money at the end of the month,” said Thomas, adding people living on a fixed income including seniors, or recipients of disability benefits, are in a particularly tough as there are limits on their ability to simply earn more money.

Thomas says the impact of the affordability crisis on Canadians continues to be on her radar.

“I think though, those who live with a disability, who are often marginalized and forgotten by society, and they’re living on a very small government stipend (…) I think about seniors who are living on a fixed income. They don’t have the opportunity to go earn more money. They have to make their small allotments stretch the distance.”

She added, “my heart goes out, and I’ve been using my voice to advocate on behalf of these groups.”

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