Politics & Current Events
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Alberta election: conservative candidate affirms she is pro-choice and supports gay rights
I thought you guys would find it humorous that a very right-wing leader in Alberta, which is a conservative province, still has to be pro-choice and pro-gay rights to be seriously electable.
I'm actually concerned she not; and I know several members of her party are against both; but its a stark contrast to the Republican debates in the US 
Wildrose Leader Danielle Smith has tried to quell suggestions she may open the abortion and same-sex marriage debates, affirming she is pro-gay rights and pro-choice.In her most forceful comments since the Alberta election campaign began in late March, Smith confirmed her personal position at an all-candidates forum Tuesday evening in the town of Okotoks.?In our Wildrose, when our members elected me, they knew they were electing a candidate that was pro-choice and pro-gay marriage,? Smith said. ?The only way we?re going to be able to become a mainstream, big-tent conservative party which is capable of forming government is to focus on the issues that matter to Albertans.?Smith stressed that she won?t legislate on the issue of abortion and doubts that such a referendum would be allowed to proceed.Smith?s party is leading in the polls against the Progressive Conservatives, which have been in power in the province for 41 years, but she has been dogged in recent days by social issues. One of the platforms in the Wildrose campaign is citizen-initiated referendums and that has led critics to question whether the right-of-centre party is trying to delist abortion from the province?s health-care coverage.The Wildrose Alliance Party is the result of a merger between the libertarian, right-wing provincial Alberta Alliance Party and the Wildrose Party in 2008. Since Smith took over the party, it has become a formidable foe to the Progressive Conservatives and has played on its strength as a more conservative rival.Calgary chiropractor Mark Dyrholm, who faced off against Smith for the leadership in 2009, said every time there is a new movement like the Wildrose, supporters within the party question which direction the party should move.?They?re doing as good a job as walking that tightrope as they can,? said Dyrholm. ?There will always be people who say they?re too far right and other say they?re not right enough.?The Progressive Conservatives, led by Premier Alison Redford, is expected to hammer the Wildrose?s lack of governing experience and the party?s social issues agenda at a Thursday evening debate, which is being held in Edmonton.Susan Elliott, the PCs? campaign manager, said while Smith may say she is pro-choice and supports gay rights, others in her party may not have the same agenda.?These guys are just waiting. Don?t tell me these guys can?t orchestrate a citizen-initiated referendum on these issues,? said Elliott.?And then what we do in Alberta for the next four years is we have more battles on social issues. Instead of focusing on health and education we?re once again tearing ourselves apart.?
The election is April 23.
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Re: Alberta election: conservative candidate affirms she is pro-choice and supports gay rights
This reminds me of when Jon Stewart said our conservatives were comparable to the US' "gay nader fans for peace."
BAHAAHAHAHA!
Bahahaha. I totally remember that awesomeness. I love John Stewart.
I read this great book once in university that talked about WHY social policies in the US and Canada have been drifting apart when we are very similar in so many ways. I wish I could remember the name of it because I'd pull it out and read it again!