Alison Redford Shocked at Bigoted Remarks

Alison Reford said she was shocked at the bigoted blog by Wildrose Alliance candidate Allan Hunsperger.  She has attempted to put "Conscience Issues" front and centre in the Alberta election campaign in an effort to paint the Wildrose Alliance Party as a party to be afraid of.

Hunsperger commented in his blog in June 2011, using Lady Gaga's album "Born this Way"

 "You see, you can live the way you were born, and if you die the way you were born then you will suffer the rest of eternity in the lake of fire, hell, a place of eternal suffering."

The comments were a criticism of the Edmonton School Divisions views  of accepting students for who they are.

Redford, once the blog went viral weighed into the conversation stating that the comments were shocking and the fact that there are people that think that's a legitimate perspective blew her mind.

"The fact that there are people who think that's a legitimate perspective just absolutely blows my mind.  I think they're shocking and I think it goes back to Albertans are about to decide who is going to govern their province. They are going to have to decide who their premier is. They're going to have to decide who the cabinet is.    If we have people like this making these sorts of comments in Alberta I think it's absolutely wrong and of course I disagree with it."

Naturally she should disagree with it and so do most Albertans, one would think.  Alison Redford, however, should remember that people that live in glass houses should not throw rocks.  In her own party she has Ted Morton, who has been a leadership candidate twice, most recently he ran against Redford and has also held a myriad of portfolios.  He resigned as Finance Minister prior to running in the recent PC leadership race.

When Morton was first elected to the Legislature he introduced, as his first piece of legislation, Bill 208  “Protection of Fundamental Freedoms (Marriage) Statute Amendment Act," which proposed three amendments to the existing Marriage, School and Human Rights, Citizenship & Multiculturalism Acts.  An excerpt from Thompson House, "Constructing Morton" is below:

"Bill 208 (his first), the “Protection of Fundamental Freedoms (Marriage) Statute Amendment Act.” It proposed three amendments to the existing Marriage, School and Human Rights, Citizenship & Multiculturalism Acts, and did not comment on the legality of samesex marriage. It stated that no one would be forced to officiate at a same-sex marriage, no one would be penalized for speaking against same-sex marriage, and no teacher would be compelled to teach nor any student compelled to learn that marriage can exist between two people of the same sex."

Danielle Smith has been very clear about "Conscience Issues"

"When our members elected me they knew they were electing a candidate that was pro-choice and pro-gay marriage.  The only way we're going to be able to become a mainstream, big-tent conservative party capable of forming government is to focus on the issues that matter to Albertans. If I am elected premier, a Wildrose government will not be legislating in areas of morality."

 "I think what you see normally when a conservative challenger comes up, you see this very commonly that these kinds of issues are brought up to fearmonger.  We saw it with Preston Manning, with Stockwell Day, we saw it with Stephen Harper so it actually doesn't surprise me that it has come up this election but it does disappoint me."  Read Danielle Smiths Position on Conscience Issues Here


The point is that Danielle Smith has pledged that these issues would not be legislated by her party, but Alison Redford, who is trailing in the polls continues to rekindle them.  Voters have a choice in Hunspergers riding, they can either vote for him or not.  His personal point of view has nothing to do with party policy, just as Ted Morton's are not the policy of the Progressive Conservative Party. After all his Bill 208 went nowhere.


The lesson to be taken from this is that every party has their thorns in the side.  Redford's party is by no means clean.   So perhaps Alison Redford should stop the fear mongering and stick to the real issues.  Just as a reminder those are Health Care, Deficits and Education.