Incumbent Garnett Genuis showed signs of strain during heated debate at the local federal election forum last week.

With polls showing his party may lose seats even in Alberta, Genuis tried to stick to promoting pipelines and tougher sentences for criminals, but kept having to defend his party’s and his own stance on abortion, indigenous rights and especially Trump.

Liberal candidate Tanya Holm attacked Genuis several times, particularly on his record on abortion. “Garnett Genuis has consistently voted against women’s rights” she noted after Genuis himself tried to avoid a question from the floor on this matter.

This drew a loud response from the crowd.

NDP candidate Chris Jones was less direct, saying only that this riding deserves better representation that it has been getting. 

Holm also attacked Genuis’ record on LGBTQ rights, after he failed to answer another question from the floor. Genuis’ campaign against the law to ban conversion therapy is another sign of how radical right wing politics is creeping into Canada, Holm said.

“The far right republican movement is filtering up here,” Holm said to loud applause.

Jones spoke to this subject as well. “We are not going to become American ever," He said to loud applause. "Elbows up!”

Genuis raised his hand to try to respond to Holm several times, but the rules of the forum prevented such interruptions. He was able during his time at the microphone later to claim the Liberals want to tax churches and to attack Liberal leader Mark Carney, alleging that Carney has ties to China.

Canadian Futures candidate Mark Horsemen particularly angered Genuis when Horseman praised the Liberal record on pipelines. “It took Trudeau to build a pipeline,” he said, noting also that the biggest barrier to new pipelines is the need to first deal with indigenous treaty rights. “It behoves us all to read a history book now and then.”

Genuis replied angrily with the claim that “Harper built four pipelines,” and that his party has several Indigenous candidates. He then attacked the Liberal indigenous procurement program.

When asked if he supported his party leader’s policy of banning journalists, Genuis could only reply: “Pierre Poilievre will be one of the best prime ministers Canada has ever had.”

Horseman then responded by accusing Poilievre of echoing Trump in many ways. “He makes me worried that we’ll Neville Chamberlain our way into 1939 Poland,” Horseman said.

Canadian sovereignty closed the forum, with all five candidates attending referencing it in the final speech. While Holm was positive, saying “Canada is not broken,” she also warned that “The U.S. should be a lesson to us.

Genuis, on the other hand, felt “Our country is hurting,” citing once again “10 years of failed Liberal rule.