EDMONTON, ALBERTA, CANADA – The leader of Alberta’s Wildrose political alliance is expressing concern over anti-gay remarks made by one of her party’s regional candidates. Danielle Smith, who leads the conservative coalition, says that she favors marriage equality and that her fellow party members should focus on fiscal, rather than social, issues.

The Wildrose Alliance Party, a provincial party in Alberta, has been painted as “extremist” by opponents. Smith was firm in her resolve to stay focused. “When our members elected me, they knew they were electing a candidate that was pro-choice and pro-gay marriage,” said Smith last week during an all-candidates forum.

“The only way we’re going to be able to become a mainstream, big-tent conservative party capable of forming government is to focus on the issues that matter to Albertans. If I am elected premier, a Wildrose government will not be legislating in areas of morality,” she said.

The party leader was responding to a blog posting last year by Wildrose candidate Allan Hunsperger of Edmonton, who said that public schools are “godless” and predicted that gays will burn in hell. Alberta Premier, Alison Redford condemned Hunsperger’s blog comments and suggested they may represent the prevailing view of Wildrose members.

LGBT rights activists are calling for Smith to remove Hunsperger from the party. “We are waiting for Danielle Smith, as leader, to accept and account for the actions of her candidate, and immediately apologize,” said Kristopher Wells of the University of Alberta Institute for Sexual Minority Studies and Services. “Anything less than a full apology is unconscionable and a sign of a two-tiered approach to equality in this province,” he added.

Follow