MLA withdraws from anti-lockdown coalition over member’s Nazi post

By Lethbridge Herald on April 5, 2021.

Cypress-Medicine Hat MLA Drew Barnes has withdrawn from the "End the Lockdowns National Caucus" Herald file photo

Gillian Slade
Southern Alberta Newspapers
gslade@abnewsgroup.com
A southern Alberta MLA who joined a national group questioning the effectiveness of COVID lockdowns says he decided to withdraw because of a statement he felt was wrong.
In early February Drew Barnes MLA for Cypress-Medicine Hat together with Angela Pitt MLA for Airdrie-East joined the newly formed Liberty Coalition Canada also known as “End the Lockdowns National Caucus”. Pitt co-signed Barnes’ letter withdrawing from the coalition.
Other politicians or former politicians who joined the group include Randy Hillier an independent MPP in Ontario and Maxime Bernier a former Conservative cabinet minister. Lethbridge City councillor Joe Mauro is also listed as a member.
Mauro did not respond to a request for comment on Monday.
Recently one of the Liberty Coalition Canada members put out a statement that did not sit right for Barnes.
“When one of the members of the group compared the lockdown to Nazi Germany that trivializes one of the worst genocides in history. That’s why I withdrew,” said Barnes.
He says the purpose of the group was to review the government’s response to COVID, and to review the practicality and the effectiveness of what governments everywhere were doing because of COVID and the effect it is having.
“Making sure there was efficacy and making sure that other issues like mental health and economical health and spiritual health were part of the equation as well,” said Barnes, who believes there were about 30 or 40 members about a month ago.
Barnes says even though he has withdrawn from the group he is still against lockdowns.
“I think our approach needs to be much, much more regional,” said Barnes, who feels there should have been an early emphasis on protecting the most vulnerable.
He believes the mental health toll became evident last summer and into the fall with the high number of people taking their own lives in Cypress-Medicine Hat.
“We are now dealing with the mental health and economic and a spiritual crisis as challenging as the COVID crisis,” said Barnes.
After 14 months of the COVID pandemic, Barnes says he is regularly talking to constituents who are reaching a “breaking point”.
“They are questioning the efficacy of what the government has done. I’ve been calling for a long, long time for a regional and more open approach to the Alberta economy,” said Barnes. “I am absolutely going to continue to do that.”
Barnes says it is clear that the hospital system is not overwhelmed and it is “alarming” that Alberta Health Services (AHS) has not done anything to increase the surge capacity if that should become necessary.
“This is why these things have to be questioned continually,” said Barnes.