Long-time southeast Rocky View County resident Tom Lipp is taking a second crack at federal politics with the announcement of his candidacy for the Bow River riding.
Lipp, who also ran in 2019, is once again representing the Christian Heritage Party (CHP). According to the party’s website, the CHP is “Canada’s only pro-life federal political party, and the only federal party that endorses the Judeo-Christian principles enshrined in the Canadian Constitution.”
The candidate, who has worked in the oil and gas industry, as an accountant, and as a financial planner, said his main motivation for running in the upcoming election is to bring change to Ottawa, adding that he believes common sense is currently in short supply in the political system.
“I believe all of the big ‘legacy’ parties have really all drunk the same Kool-Aid,” Lipp said.
He explained that while previously a Conservative Party of Canada voter, he drifted away from that party on the premise the CPC had strayed away from traditional conservative values.
“We put too much emphasis on fiscal conservatism and really ignore issues of family, and life, and personal freedom,” Lipp said.
In the 2019 run, Lipp said he was a rookie who didn’t understand all of the ins and outs of federal politics. He ended the campaign with the least support in the riding, with just 0.8 per cent of the vote.
He said he feels more prepared this time around, and is running a campaign focused on conversing with people and hearing what they have to say, rather than just putting up signs.
With that, Lipp explained the CHP platform contains many points, including opposition to any “coercive medical protocols” including COVID-19 vaccine mandates, a clear separation of church and state, and support for property rights and firearm ownership rights.
He also added he believes Canada should be energy-independent, and that a carbon tax is a misguided approach. Lipp mentioned he and the CHP also believe in the concept of a “traditional” family construct and are pro-life.
Lipp stressed the common thread throughout all of his points is personal freedom.
“Any government big enough to give you all you want, is also big enough to take all that you have,” he said.
The Bow River hopeful said his life experience, professional experience, and passion for freedom is what makes him the best fit for the job. He recognized the two “main” parties – the Conservatives and the Liberals – often garner the majority of votes because they are the most well known.
In this election, Bow River and neighboring Banff-Airdrie have numerous candidates from various parties, including the People’s Party of Canada (PPC), the Maverick Party, the NDP and even multiple independents.
However, Lipp said voters considering changing their vote from the well-known Tories to a smaller party should do their research and consider the values associated with each. Ultimately, he believes the CHP is the top choice for Bow River constituents.
“What makes the [CHP] different is that we recognize that Canada has a Christian heritage,” he said. “We promote justice, integrity, thrift, diligence, and compassion.”
“The CHP is not politically correct, what we need is not more political correctness, we need political repentance,” Lipp added.
Other candidates in Bow River include incumbent Conservative MP Martin Shields, Liberal Party representative Getu Shawile, NDP candidate Michael MacLean, People’s Party of Canada candidate Jonathan Bridges, and Maverick Party candidate Orrin Bliss.
Editor’s note: Profiles on candidates for the Bow River riding are available at AirdrieToday.com, under the “elections” subcategory on the home page. As of press time for this paper, the Rocky View Weekly was unable to contact NDP candidate Michael MacLean.
