Liberal candidate apologizes for comments she says were 'taken out of context' on elderly, new mothers

OTTAWA — Liberal candidate Nell Thomas has apologized for comments she has reportedly made on social media that cast doubt on her views about the elderly population and new mothers. Thomas, a family physician running for office in the riding of Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes, posted a video Saturday in which she said that “negative messages” on social media had been circulating about comments she made in the past that were “taken out of context.” “However, I recognize that, regardless of context, some of my words may have hurt people and for that I am truly sorry,” she said. Asked by National Post, Thomas’ team did not immediately clarify which of her comments she was referring to, nor did she or her campaign specify which ones had been taken out of context. Thomas’ X account has been deleted, meaning the newspaper is unable to independently confirm those tweets. One screengrab circulating on social media shows Thomas, commenting on the “elderly demographic” on May 11, 2024, reportedly wrote that Canada must “stop keeping ancients alive so long.” Another screengrab of a post on X, dated April 12, 2023, shows Thomas reportedly criticizing women bearing children. “Imagine my thoughts when assessing a pregnant patient. I telepathically advise the fetus to sue the owner of the uterus while exiting it to this world. Of necessity, a mother must be a climate change denier,” reads the post. While Thomas did not specifically reference those posts in her apology video, she insisted that she is a “person of strong morality.” “I am a physician who cares for patients of all ages across every stage of life including end-of-life journeys. I help people find dignity, relieve suffering, and seeking peace when existence becomes too heavy to bear,” she said. “I am also a lifelong environmentalist who cares deeply about the future we are leaving for our children. There is nothing more meaningful to me than caring for moms and their babies. I love the life force that drives us to create new generations,” she added. Thomas was less apologetic when talking about fossil fuel companies, which she blames for the climate crisis and the resulting eco-anxiety that many couples face when thinking of having children. “If I could, I would take legal action against the oil and gas companies that knew many decades ago, a hundred years ago, the price we would eventually pay for our dependence on fossil fuels,” she said in her video. “It is devastating that because of their greed, many people feel forced to wrestle with difficult questions about the future, including whether or not to have children, whether to bring children into a world facing such challenges.” Other surprising posts reportedly written by Thomas include criticizing agriculture as “a thing of the past” and saying eliminating meat from people’s diets will soon be essential for parts of planet Earth to “remain habitable.” Thomas told a local newspaper that she is “Green at heart” and only joined the Liberals recently because she wanted to vote for Mark Carney as leader. She said she has voted for all parties in the past, even incumbent Conservative MP Jamie Schmale. National Post