Working-class Canadians are, in some cases literally, the drivers of our economy. Without their expertise and hard work, our roads, buildings, and economy would not exist. The quality of life we enjoy would not be possible. This is why it is so saddening and disheartening to see a growing trend of insulting working-class Canadians on social media.

Before winning my seat for Edmonton city council in 2007, I made my living as a bus driver for 16 years. It’s a part of my life that I am very proud of — despite comments and jeers made by people on social media and — I have to say — by Conservative members of Parliament on the floor of the House of Commons.

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Like millions of other Canadians, I worked hard to put food on the table for my family. While driving my bus, I met people from all walks of life: businesspeople and public servants going to work, students, laid-off workers looking for opportunities, moms with strollers dropping off their kids at daycare, homeless Edmontonians, sometimes spending the night sleeping on the back seat during harsh winter nights.

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My job helped me to understand their struggles and aspirations. It helped spark my passion for my community. It inspired me to run for office, and I took that experience to city hall to advocate for better infrastructure and services.

Some people regularly make fun of me and make comments like “make Sohi a bus driver again.” They try to diminish my background. Their words don’t upset me — to be frank, I’ve faced much worse in my life.

However, people who make their living driving a bus or taxi, a truck, or a forklift deserve better. People who build the foundations, frames and wiring of our homes absolutely have the ability to strengthen the foundations and systems of our government.

Working-class people belong in politics, and I am incredibly proud to live in a country where a person who worked hard driving the midnight shift from Mill Woods Town Centre to downtown can also work hard as a member of Parliament and minister of the Crown. My experience reminds me every single day of the outsized contribution working-class people make in our country. It also reminds me of the responsibility we have to make decisions that support them.

That is why, the first bill I voted for as a member of Parliament was a tax cut for working-class Canadians, allowing them to keep more of their hard-earned money in their pockets. I wish the Canada Child Benefit, which our government implemented, was in place when Sarbjeet and I were raising our daughter, so we did not have to make the hard choice between buying her a birthday gift or putting her in a basketball program.

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As minister of Infrastructure and Communities, I worked hard to deliver more than $6 billion in federal infrastructure investments for Alberta. These investments do not only mean building the important trains, roads, daycares, affordable homes, shelters, and other facilities we need, but also creating thousands of jobs for engineers, labourers, carpenters, welders, and other skilled tradespeople and construction workers. Behind each of those jobs is a worker and a family, who are now able to make ends meet because of these projects.

As minister of Natural Resources, I consider it my responsibility to support the hard-working women and men in our resource sectors. I’m proud our investments in clean technology are sparking incredible innovation, helping grow our economy and creating thousands of good-paying, middle-class jobs.

I know that times have been tough for working people in Alberta. My friends and family, neighbours and constituents have felt the effects of a difficult resource economy over the past seven years. Those workers were front of mind when we purchased the Trans Mountain pipeline, when we approved the Line 3 replacement project, and when we approved the Trans Mountain expansion.

I take pride in how I built a life for myself and my family. Every Canadian should be proud of what they do to earn a living. While social-media trolls and out-of-touch politicians try to dismiss the contributions of working-class Canadians, I will always stand up for them because I am one of them. And I am proud of it.