Quote:
Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame
This move alone tells me it's not just about pipelines and jobs, it's about ideological implementation. There was no good reason to revert back to the Education Act. None. This is purely a politicking move with no upside other than to appease a part of his voting base, who voted in favor of a motion to inform parents when children join GSA's.
Ric McIver and a couple of other MLA's pleaded against them doing this:
UCP members ignore MLA pleas to vote against gay-straight alliance motion
The motion passed with 57 per cent support even though members were being urged to vote against it by Calgary-Hays MLA Ric McIver, Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre MLA Jason Nixon, and Chestermere-Rocky View MLA Leela Aheer.
"This is about outing gay kids," McIver said, as he was jeered by the crowd. "Don't be called the Lake of Fire party, I'm begging you.
"This will really severely hurt our chances at winning. Don't do that to yourself."
Brian Coldwell, a pastor, said the motion is about parental rights.
"Governments and activists cannot have more authority over children than parents," he told the crowd. "It's not about anti-gay. It's about fundamental, God-given freedoms."
Aheer argued freedoms extend to everyone, including the right for children to have safe spaces.
"Please vote against this resolution," she said. |
That article there sums up what's broken in our democracy. Policy and platforms are determined in the sausage making political process rather than by the people on election day. The activists and single issue special interest on both the left and right know that their policies don't have broad appeal, but also know that a lack of broad participation at the party level gives them an amplified voice in party leadership races and policy conventions and that's where they focus their efforts.
Honestly, If you are fiscally conservative and not too fussed about social issues and wonder why this election appears to you to be a choice between a giant d&^$@ and a turd sandwich, it's because the choice that is acceptable to your viewpoint isn't being presented to you on election day. It's presented to you in the bowels of party politics and the social conservative activists are counting on your apathy at that level to amplify their views on policy than their actual numbers in the voting population would otherwise have. I'm sure like 85-90% of UCP voters would be against repealing the aspects of Bill 24 that protect GSAs in their current form, but here we are. If you're pissed off, get involved.