LETHBRIDGE, Alta. — A candidate for the United Conservative Party in southern Alberta has resigned after claiming in a video that children are being exposed to pornography in schools.
Torry Tanner, who was running in Lethbridge West, made the comments in a 50-second video posted online.
"We, as parents, are in a unique position to protect the innocence of our children yet alarmingly we are seeing increasing instances where kids, even those attending kindergarten, are being exposed to pornographic materials or, worse yet, having teachers help them change their gender identity with absolutely no parental consent or knowledge whatsoever," Tanner said in the video. "This needs to be stopped immediately."
She urged parents to get involved on school boards and on parent councils to keep their children safe.
"As an educator and mother myself, this concerns me greatly because, when it comes down to protecting youth, silence just isn't an option anymore," she said. "So, I am asking that you stand with me to take action in protecting our children."
The video has been slammed by the Opposition NDP and the Alberta Teachers' Association as misinformation.
"We have a vetted UCP candidate by the party making comments that were not true, comments that were used to create fear for political gain," said Jason Schilling, president of the Alberta Teachers’ Association.
"I am from Lethbridge, I am from that riding actually. I know that the people who are working in our schools, the teachers, are not doing what she indicated that they were."
Tanner said in a statement released by the party Thursday that she made the video during the nomination process and that it spoke to her commitment to protecting children.
"It's clear that my choice of words have distracted not only from the issue I was trying to discuss, but are being used by my political opponents to hurt our chances of winning across the province," she said.
The provincial election is expected to be held at the end of May.
Premier Danielle Smith said in the statement that she has accepted Tanner's resignation.
"I will be working with the local constituency and the party to appoint a replacement in the near future," she said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on March 30, 2023.
The Canadian Press
