EDMONTON — United Conservative Leader Danielle Smith says a party candidate who compared transgender students in schools to feces in food wouldn't sit in her caucus if elected on May 29.
"The UCP candidate for Lacombe-Ponoka, Jennifer Johnson, used offensive language and a vile analogy when speaking about the 2SLGBTQIA+ community for which she has apologized," Smith said in a statement Thursday.
"I have informed Ms. Johnson that should she win a seat as the UCP candidate for Lacombe-Ponoka, she will not sit as a member of the United Conservative caucus in the legislature."
But how much impact the move would have on Johnson — if elected — or a possible UCP government is open to question.
Earlier this week, audio surfaced from Sept. 1, before Johnson won the UCP nomination. She is heard telling a group that Alberta’s high-ranking education system counts for little set against the issue of transgender students, comparing their presence to a batch of cookies laced with feces.
“That little bit of poop is what wrecks it,” says Johnson on the audio. “It does not matter that we’re in the top three per cent in the world."
She repeated a long-denied assertion that public schools allow students to identify as cats and set out litter boxes for them. She said girls are getting double mastectomies and being chemically sterilized at age 14.
She said hard-core pornography is available in elementary schools and advocated for the total elimination of sex education.
University of Calgary political scientist Lisa Young said Smith could do little other than promise to bar her from caucus, if elected. Once the nomination papers are signed and ballots printed, the die is cast.
"(Smith) can't get the UCP label taken off and she can't run another UCP candidate," Young said. "The nominations are closed."
The federal Liberals ran into a similar situation in 2021 when they were forced to disavow Toronto candidate Kevin Vuong after it emerged he had once faced a sexual assault charge, which was dropped. Vuong won re-election and sits as an Independent.
It's not clear how sitting as an Independent would affect Johnson, should she win.
She'd be ineligible for cabinet and committee assignments, reducing both her influence and her paycheque. She'd be barred from caucus meetings, which could reduce her ability to advocate on behalf of her constituents, said Young. She'd sit apart from any potential UCP government in the legislature.
If, however, the UCP and NDP each come away with 43 seats in Alberta's 87-seat legislature after the election, Johnson's importance goes way up, Young said.
"(The UCP) might need her support. She could demand to be readmitted to caucus."
On Thursday, Smith did not sound welcoming.
"Elected officials have a responsibility to represent all communities. Although there are certainly legitimate policy discussions to be had on youth transgender issues, the language used by Ms. Johnson regarding children identifying as transgender is simply unacceptable and does not reflect the values of our party or province."
Alex Pugatschew, vice-chair of the Red Deer Queer Community Association, dismissed Smith's comments, calling them "pretty words but not a lot more than that."
"Frankly speaking, with the provincial election coming upon us so soon, anything out of Premier Smith's mouth ... (is) nothing but a lacklustre attempt at salvaging a voter base that she and the rest of the UCP know are abandoning ship," Pugatschew said.
Johnson has apologized for the remarks.
"I apologize for the way I discussed these issues in September of 2022," Johnson said in a statement Wednesday.
"I have nothing but love and compassion for everyone equally and am embarrassed that I have caused hurt in this way."
She said, if elected, she would seek advice on how to communicate her views.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 18, 2023.
Bob Weber, The Canadian Press
