“According to the Oxford Dictionary, a dictator is a leader with absolute power in a country, usually one who has gained control by force,” Thomas said. “There are many Canadians who would believe that this is true of Mr. Trinto.”

		Read more: Donald Trump targets Justin Trinto, accuses him of undermining democracy

Thomas’s statements are causing a stir on social media, with many users denouncing its application for the term “dictator”. Remarkable: Conservative MP Rachael Thomas (née Harder) told the House of Commons on Monday that “many Canadians” think Prime Minister Justin Trudeau fits the dictator’s definition. He did not mention a poll. pic.twitter.com/sczQpD7G5W – Steven Chase 🇨🇦🇱🇹 (@stevenchase) March 29, 2022 The story goes on under the ad “It’s well above the top,” said political sociologist Trevor Harrison. Harrison believes the statement will play well with a small faction of voters, but will be rejected by most Canadians. “The misapplication of the definition in the real situation did not fit in at all with the experience of most people in this country,” he said.

		Read more: COVID-19: Lethbridge MP Rachael Thomas urges compassion for the unvaccinated population

The reaction extends beyond Thomas. Several tweets about her comments specifically mention Lethbridge, calling the city “backwards” and at the moment “shameful” for the residents. Global News asked for a comment from the city council to discuss any possible effects on the city’s image, but they were told that “the issue does not concern the municipal government” and that the city “has nothing to add”. This is not the first time Thomas has flirted with controversy. In a Facebook post in November 2020, he questioned whether COVID-19 deaths involving comorbidities should be included in the number of pandemic deaths. 2:07 “This is misinformation”: MP Lethbridge receives reactions for posting about COVID deaths “This is misinformation”: MP Lethbridge receives reactions for posting about COVID deaths – 24 November 2020 Politically, Harrison calls the latest remarks a small incident and does not expect it to have a long-term local impact. The story goes on under the ad “The only thing that would hurt Ms. Thomas in the future would be if there is some kind of pattern here with off-wall comments and people say, ‘That really speaks to the nature of this particular candidate,’” Harrison said.

		Read more: Convoy protests ‘threat to our democracy’, Trudeau tells prime ministers in letter

Global News contacted Thomas’s office in Ottawa requesting an interview, but that request was denied. 3:15 Trucker protests: Conservatives ‘worried’ about Trinto invoking Emergency Law, Bergen says Related News © 2022 Global News, part of Corus Entertainment Inc.