You want these types to be in charge of your province ?. . . .
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David Dorward, UCP candidate for Edmonton-Gold Bar
A UCP-affiliated website shared a statement from Dorward following up on comments he made suggesting that gender-inclusive bathroom policies allow adult men to wander into women’s locker rooms. The former PC cabinet minister said he had shared a news story on Facebook just over three years ago about a man entering a women’s locker room to test new Washington state rules allowing people to choose a bathroom based on the gender they identify with. “I worried at the time that new gender identity guidelines for Alberta schools could put students in our province at risk,” Dorward said in his statement. “While I was not alone in sharing this belief at the time, I am relieved that such fears have not been validated in the following three years.”
Karri Flatla, UCP candidate for Lethbridge-West
The NDP slammed Flatla for a 2016 Facebook post where she called human-caused global warming “mythology.” Her post appeared to criticize the creation of the Alberta climate change office. Kenney said that there is a spectrum of views on the issue.
Caylan Ford, former UCP candidate for Calgary-Mountain View
She wrote Facebook messages containing white nationalist rhetoric that suggested white supremacist terrorists are treated unfairly. Several high-profile politicians called on the star UCP candidate to resign after the remarks surfaced. She quit the race, saying she didn’t want to be a distraction for voters. Ford also said she strongly denounces extremism and violence. She was replaced by candidate Jeremy Wong.
Shane Getson, UCP candidate for Lac Ste. Anne-Parkland
He shared a “Yellow Vest Canada” Facebook post that had the headline “message to Trudeau.” It was related to the group’s stance against the UN’s Global Compact On Migration. The deal aims to improve co-operation on international migration and prevent suffering and chaos. It’s not legally binding, allowing its 193 signatory countries, including Canada, to control their own immigration rules. Getson said he read the compact and it scared him. Kenney said Getson had a legitimate perspective.
Grant Hunter, UCP candidate for Taber-Warner
Postmedia obtained a document tied to Hunter and fellow UCP candidate Mark Smith, who argued while MLAs in September 2016 that the government has no business banning conversion therapy. Conversion therapy is the harmful and unfounded practice of attempting to change someone’s sexual orientation. Hunter and Smith (Drayton Valley-Devon) helped pen the document while part of the Wildrose Party’s internal family and social values committee. It argued that conversion therapy is a “psycho-social and religious practice” which the government has no business banning. Both Smith and Hunter wouldn’t comment on the issue.
UCP candidate Leela Aheer (Chestermere-Strathmore) was named as the editor of a second version of the document, dated February 2017, when she was a Wildrose MLA. In a statement sent to Postmedia Aheer said, “I was not in any way the author or editor of this document in question.” Aheer’s statement is the only response provided by the UCP after multiple requests for comment on the two documents.
Jason Kenney, UCP leader and candidate for Calgary-Lougheed
Kenney has been fielding questions throughout his campaign related to allegations that his team ran a co-ordinated campaign with fellow competitor Jeff Callaway to sink rival Brian Jean during the 2017 UCP leadership race. Callaway’s campaign has also been linked to an RCMP investigation, and police have confirmed they are investigating issues beyond the election commissioner’s purview. That news followed allegations about financial irregularities. Kenney has denied his team did anything unethical or illegal. The election commissioner has handed out more than $35,000 in fines related to Callaway’s campaign.
Eva Kiryakos, former UCP candidate for Calgary-South East
She resigned from the race after anti-Muslim comments she made on social media came to light. She had also criticized gay-straight alliances, saying they convert children instead of protecting them. Kiryakos stepped aside after claiming that she received threats, posting a video about the issue to her Facebook page. In it, she shared her posts in which she discussed topics including “Germany’s migrant rape crisis” and the Alberta Teachers’ Association guidelines around transgender people using school washrooms. She was replaced by candidate Matt Jones.
Martin Long, UCP candidate for West Yellowhead
Long took heat for a Facebook comment he wrote in 2016 where he argued that a Christian shouldn’t vote for or defend a government that supports gay marriage, the minimum wage and abortion. He told Postmedia that he believes in equality before the law, and stands behind his party’s stance on the minimum wage and abortion.
Jason Nixon, UCP candidate for Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre
An Alberta woman claimed that she had an alleged altercation with Nixon in 2009 while he was out hunting and she was patrolling her property. The altercation led to Nixon being charged with assault. The charge was later dropped, but a peace bond was entered. The woman, Allison Gentry, claimed Nixon was physically and verbally threatening. Nixon disputed her version of events, saying that he hadn’t been on her property. The peace bond mandated that Nixon stay off Gentry’s property and remain on good behaviour. He said signing the peace bond wasn’t an admission of guilt.
Tunde Obasan, UCP candidate for Edmonton-South West
He said a meme he shared in 2017 was “clearly a joke” after he was criticized by NDP staff on social media. The meme he shared on Faceook says, “Dear Wife, If you want to bring out the best in your husband, give him these 2 things: Respect and Sex (in that order) (sic).” Obasan said it was a joke, “albeit one in poor taste,” and called it a foolish move. He also said it wasn’t reflective of his views and he treats his wife as his equal.
Roger Reid, UCP candidate for Livingstone-Macleod
He made waves after the NDP accused him of promoting an anti-Muslim book in a sermon and publishing anti-gay content in a church newsletter. The 2003 First Alliance Church newsletter was published when Reid was director of communications. It contained a book review of The Homosexual Agenda, which argues LGBTQ activists are trying to trump the rights of others, especially religious people. “The authors provide well-documented proof that America is not only becoming more tolerant of homosexual behaviour, it is becoming less tolerant of those who disagree with the lifestyle,” said the review. Reid said his views have since evolved.
On the accusation of promoting an anti-Muslim book, Reid said in his 2012 sermon he had been referencing an earlier version of a book, dubbed The Body, by evangelical Christian Charles Colson. The later edition published in 2003 under the title Being the Body, which was referenced in the criticisms against him, had included revisions, he said.
Mark Smith, UCP candidate for Drayton Valley-Devon
The candidate previously elected as a Wildrose MLA, who also served as UCP education critic, gave a homophobic sermon at a Drayton Valley church in 2013 saying media portrayals of LGBTQ love as “good love” are problematic. A clip of his sermon that surfaced ignited a debate about the UCP’s stance on LGBTQ issues and spurred a swift online response from people who were offended and hurt by the comments.
Postmedia also obtained a document, dated Sept. 30, 2015, authored by Smith, entitled, “Should Christian public schools be able to fire a homosexual teacher that claims to be homosexual?” A second document came to light that argued the government has no business banning conversion therapy. The document from Smith and fellow UCP candidate Grant Hunter was dated September 2016 (when they were both Wildrose MLAs).
Jeremy Wong, UCP candidate for Calgary-Mountain View
The NDP criticized Wong for past comments praising an alleged conversion therapy program — an accusation he denied. Wong said he wasn’t affiliated with the group formerly called Living Waters Canada, now known as Journey Canada, and that he does not support conversion therapy in any form. He said he had attended some events with the organization, including spiritual support groups. He also took heat online after the NDP posted a clip of a sermon where he talks about women submitting to their husbands (quoting from the Bible).
Pre-campaign controversies
There were numerous nomination controversies plaguing Alberta politicians before the writ dropped March 19.
Michaela Glasgo, UCP candidate for Brooks-Medicine Hat
She retracted a claim that her local church was facing a $50,000 carbon tax bill. It turned out it was actually around $5,400, and the church pastor said he was happy to pay.
Leila Houle, UCP candidate for Edmonton Highlands-Norwood
Three UCP nomination candidates for Edmonton-West Henday took heat after posing for photos in October with members of the Soldiers of Odin, a far-right, anti-immigrant organization. The UCP condemned the group and said they crashed a pub night to cause mischief. Nicole Williams, Leila Houle and Lance Coulter were vying for the nomination. Williams won the nomination race in that riding. Coulter was disqualified after he defended the attendance of the Soldiers of Odin.
Dale Johnson, former UCP candidate for Lac St. Anne-Parkland
The UCP disqualified him saying he had failed to disclose a past legal matter involving a former girlfriend fired from his company. The emotionally-charged nomination race in that riding also saw candidate Jerry Molnar disqualified over offensive social media comments.
Randy Kerr, former UCP candidate for Calgary-Beddington
The UCP kicked him to the curb stating that he wasn’t forthright about his financial contribution to the Jeff Callaway leadership campaign. He was replaced by Josephine Pon.
He had also been criticized for repeatedly using social media to link to web pages and blogs that, in his words, “exposes global warming for the hoax we’ve always known it to be.” UCP executive director Janice Harrington said Kerr was entitled to “his personal opinion.”
Nicole Williams, UCP candidate for Edmonton-West Henday
She took heat as one of the three UCP nomination candidates for Edmonton-West Henday who posed for photos in October with members of the Soldiers of Odin, a far-right, anti-immigrant organization.
