Notley takes aim at comments from UCP candidate

CALGARY (660 NEWS) — NDP leader Rachel Notley says Jason Kenney has failed a test in the wake of anti-gay comments from a UCP candidate coming to light.

On Tuesday, audio surfaced from Drayton Valley candidate Mark Smith talking to congregates at the Calvary Baptist Church in 2013, seemingly comparing homosexuality to paedophilia and also criticizing abortion.

READ MORE: UCP candidate in hot water over past comments

It was also revealed that, in 2015, Smith wrote an article that called for allowing Catholic schools to have the right to fire gay teachers.

Smith issued a statement in the wake of the reveal, saying he apologizes if anyone was offended or hurt, but adds that he does not recall making the comments. Also, he added that he was remarking on media commentary and does not believe homosexuality is akin to paedophilia.

The NDP immediately latched on to the comments and called on UCP leader Jason Kenney to fire his candidate.

Kenney also issued a statement, refusing to fire Smith, and saying that while he finds the comments offensive he does think Smith rightly apologized.

On Wednesday, during a campaign rally in Calgary, Notley took specific aim at Smith — who is also the opposition education critic.

“This issue goes directly to Mr. Kenney’s character,” said Notley. “This is not who we are as Albertans. Equality is an Albertan value. Albertans stick together. In this province, it does not matter where you come from, whom you pray to, or who you love. We are all Albertans.”

"This issue goes directly to Mr. Kenney's character," says Notley. Says economic troubles cannot be an excuse to "abandon our better selves." Notley will not turn a blind eye to it.

— Tom Ross (@Tommy_Slick) April 3, 2019

Notley acknowledged that the economy is a major focus in this campaign, but this does not mean other concerns should be pushed to the wayside.

“We cannot let our economic troubles, as frustrating as they are, be an excuse to abandon our better selves,” said Notley. “Albertans are capable of looking at more than one issue at the same time, and that Albertans also believe in common decency, and that Mr. Kenney’s response yesterday represented an abandonment of common decency.”

With Kenney refusing to remove Smith, Notley thinks the UCP leader is “misjudging Alberta”.

“This is not a question of I should be imploring Albertans, it’s that I’m shocked that Albertans have to implore Mr. Kenney to do the right thing. I think the test was put to him yesterday, and he failed it. He failed it brutally.”