04.10.2012 09:56 AM

Danielle Smith’s “conscience” – in her own words


The Wildrose leader says doctors, nurses, marriage officials and other public officials should be able to make decisions according to their own conscience. So, what does Danielle Smith’s own “conscience” have to say about important issues like reproductive freedom, equal marriage, health care, personal behaviour and the Charter of Rights?

Here she is, in her own words:

  • On abortion: “…abortions are a horrific practice… Any politician who challenges the status quo gets pilloried by the media, abortion-rights groups and opposing politicians…the taxpayer should not be on the hook to pay for it.” Windsor Star, December 4, 2000
  • On university behaviour codes: “It is perfectly reasonable [to] expect its students to refrain from practices that are biblically condemned, and sign a pledge not to get drunk, swear, harass, lie, cheat, steal, have an abortion, practise the occult, or engage in sexual sins such as premarital sex, adultery, homosexual behaviour and viewing of pornography.” Calgary Herald May 21, 2001
  • On two-tier health care: “Bring it on.” Calgary Herald, June 1, 2003
  • On queue jumping: “We already do have this two-tier system, so why not allow people to pay for private services?” Global TV, June 1, 2003
  • On democracy: “Democracy is pure theatre.” Calgary Herald, August 3, 2003
  • On the courts: “The courts are out of control [because they have been] striking down the abortion law, the change in the traditional definition of marriage, the legalization of swingers’ clubs.” Calgary Herald January 14, 2006
  • On overriding Charter rights: “There are ways around the [notwithstanding] clause.” Calgary Herald January 14, 2006
…and on what she really thinks of the leader she now claims is a friend?
  • On Stephen Harper: “He’s blown his moderate credentials, he got some of his facts wrong and he has come across as a kooky conspiracy theorist.” Calgary Herald, September 14, 2003

53 Comments

  1. Derek Pearce says:

    Is she kooky enough to go all the way to using the Notwithstanding Clause? Because if elected, on any constitutional matter such as letting bigots try to get away with discrimination re marriages or hospital treatment, she’ll lose and lose and lose in court.

  2. Ottawacon says:

    The PCs must have become awfully complacent to let the Albertaliban get as close as they are to forming a government.

  3. Geoffrey Laxton says:

    Will she impose the death penalty by stoning for farmers mixing seeds in the field (sounds like no GMO crops to me), carrying diverse loads (better inspect all the trucks), or wearing garments made from linen/wool blends (quick! Send the police to the shopping mall!)

  4. William says:

    I think the Wildrose coming to power is a good thing.

    The rest of the country needs to see this type of government in action to full appreciate not repeating it anywhere else.

    And she’ll make Harper look like the fraud that he is.

    • Ted B says:

      Or a moderate, by comparison.

    • james Smith says:

      We already had that in Ontario; I think the fella’s name was Harris. Wonder what ever happened to all his cronies?

      • mackenzie says:

        I can only assume you don’t live in Alberta, William. In future, I’ll make sure to wish an evil government on your province so that you can enjoy far-right radicals experimenting with your health care, your children’s education, your environment, and your rights, so that the rest of the country can enjoy respite from all that.

    • G Pawson says:

      If we are real lucky the election of the Wildrose Party in Alberta is the first solid step toward a new Dominion in North America. The joining of B.C., Alberta Sask and the Yukon forming a new country! It would certainly be one of the richest non-opec countries in the world, and we in the west would be oh so much happier without having to bow down to Ontario, and paying bribes and listening to the whinning and demands of the hyphonated french in queerbec!! Let us prey!!!

      • Paul says:

        Quite possibly the dumbest thing I have ever read on a website. I don’t even know where to start picking this thing apart, so I won’t. I will let it stand as the dumbest post ever written in the 21 year history of the web.

      • KS says:

        Yes, let you all “prey,” indeed.

        You are EXACTLY the reason I left Alberta and moved to Ontario.

        • drg says:

          The ‘West’ is not a uniform region culturally or politically. A little travel to BC or Saskatchewan would disabuse you of the wish to join with them as they actually represent some ‘socialist’ values unlike ruthlessly individualistic Alberta.

          • KS says:

            Thank you for making this distinction, for I believe you are quite correct. When it came down to leaving Alberta for good, I took the first opportunity I could – just turned out it was in Ontario!

      • Bianca says:

        I can’t believe I just read this. It actually made me want to cry. You spelled “pray,” “whining” and “hyphenated” wrong, and please don’t speak for the rest of us SANE people who (unfortunately) live in Alberta. I would definitely not be happy if Canada separated. You come across as a greedy, overly religious, homophobic idiot.

    • Christian says:

      @William, and on what ground do you think it’s a good thing?

  5. Michael Teper says:

    Are doctors and nurses public officials???

    • Warren says:

      Does Evans still arrange for NAMBLA material to be sent to his enemies? Does he still mock Holocaust victims?

      Anything he does to assist Wildrose is interesting to me, as I intend to write about this.

      • Rob W says:

        He has been very active on Twitter. A big cheerleader for the Wildrose. Check the #ableg postings.

        -SORRY I meant to post here.

      • Bill Johnson says:

        He’s basically the WRP enforcer on twitter. Giving veiled threats to journalists who he disagrees with and telling people to f**k off. He is prolific though, don’t think he has an actual job with the amount of posts he has. WRP have a small group of the same 8 or so people who overload the #abvote stream with their backwards crying about elites, commies, Pro-Life, Liberals, hippies, Christian persecution , homos, feminists, etc. The more they knuckle drag the more people see who the base of the WRP really are.

        • Warren says:

          Need to know if he has a formal role with Wildrose. What I’ve read suggests he does.

          • Bill Johnson says:

            I don’t think he has formally sanctioned role. But if you look at the #abvote stream if he does not have a formal role they should pay him. 99% WRP for the top posts on #abvote

            http://albertatweets.ca/the-twitter-conversation-april-1st-april-8th/

          • B Foster says:

            This Evans person has a tendency as well to call those with whom he disagrees “retards.” A lot of folks – including academics – have noticed that this group (cabal?) of hardcore WR supporters on Twitter are exceptionally vindictive. Everyone launches into partisan jibes, but these guys are very nasty. My guess is that these folks (there are women in this group, too) are not the paleo-con traditionalists the WR attracts, but the Ayn Rand libertarians, who are on a steady diet of Sun (Faux) News.

  6. Merrill Smith says:

    The newest of those quotes is six years old. Don’t all politician’s statements have an expiry date — valid until he/she changes opinions? I’m not defending her Warren, I’m on your side. Nor am I related to her.

    • Warren says:

      That’s for the people to decide.

      • ct vachon says:

        The newest of those quotes is six years old. Don’t all politician’s statements have an expiry date — valid until he/she changes opinions?
        I think we’re seeing lots of that with the current party too! Let the People Decide is correct.

        ctv

        • Kathleen Smith says:

          I daresay that if the WRP is going to hold Redford accountable for seeking citizenship is South Africa some years ago, they best be prepared for Smith to be held accountable for comments made in the past.

          • Bill Johnson says:

            I was going to comment that if you look at the top 10 twitter posters on #abvote in the link it is 90% of WRP attack posters and 10% of a poster trying to defend herself from these vindictive posts. That is the reason she scored higher than normal 😉

            That alone tells you the story of the top WRP posters on #abvote.

      • Grayson says:

        Is there any way to find the articles quoted? Specifically the one about University Behaviour Codes. I would just like to see the context behind the quote.

        Thank you ahead of time Warren!

  7. Rob W says:

    He has been very active on Twitter. A big cheerleader for the Wildrose. Check the #ableg postings.

  8. A says:

    I don’t get how a City like Calgary who voted in NENSHI would ever allow someone like this to even exist.

  9. Mike Foulds says:

    Great and funny video about reproduction rights:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmQhCWfXu2o&feature=youtu.be

  10. lance m says:

    they are just tired of the corupt PC party and tehre is no other viable choice.

  11. Philippe says:

    Had a good talk with my brother last night. For the first time in his life, he voted for and even contributed financially to the Federal Cons last campaign. He did it because he’s a fiscal conservative. Yesterday, he told me how pissed off he is at the party – because of their forced morality on the general population. He brought up the atrocious crime bill they passed that will clog our prisons with non-criminals and cost us a fortune. As he said, if someone wants to remain unmarried, and sleep with prostitutes for their whole lives & be happy – that’s their prerogative. The Cons like to insert themselves and interfere with private citizens’ wishes to live their lives as they see fit. The Wildrose party, from what I read, are the same way. Those parties are dangerous because they don’t just want to govern, they want to change the way we think. I can’t believe I’m cheering for Alberta Conservatives – but in this case, I am.

  12. Shawn says:

    I think she just listed every good reason to go to University in the first place!

  13. judes says:

    Can we not find some more recent, relevant quotes? Seriously.

    • Diana says:

      Relevant – they are…how has her opinion changed? They haven’t if you look at the people she made pay $1000 to keep their mouths shut in her party so that there would not be any “new” quotes like these. Why do you think the Alberta Report was never digital…nothing can stick. Seriously judes think about what would happen if these are the philosophies of the next government…

  14. Teri says:

    She also said that climate change is an unsettled science.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5P5OxlP6KY

  15. Tiffany says:

    I’m going to bet her bath robe is white! Yikes!

  16. alf says:

    Didn’t Liberal MP Dan Boudria propose a private members bill proposing protecting conscience rights in 1994? Didn’t Jean Chretien also say on occasion he was personally opposed to abortion. I sense that both changed their minds as is rather evident that Danielle Smith has.

    • Diana says:

      Not true in the case of Chretien, what he said was that personally he was not pro choice but as an elected official his personal views were separate from what the people that elected him as well as the courts decision. If you don’t believe in abortion, don’t have one….it’s that simple.

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