Smith says PCS using scare tactics

Wildrose Leader Danielle Smith is accusing her PC rival Alison Redford of trying to scare her way to a provincial election victory, dismissing such tactics as the kind of fearmongering Eastern Canada has previously directed at Preston Manning and Stephen Harper.

“When Preston Manning had his breakthrough in 1993 he almost swept through Alberta, and Stephen Harper hasn’t had any trouble getting votes in Alberta,” Smith said Thursday. “It’s typical of liberal politicians to demonize a conservative party using fearmongering. I think Albertans won’t fall for it.”

Smith was referring to a controversy that’s developed over her party’s position on “conscience rights,” which would allow public servants to opt-out of providing services they consider morally objectionable. This could allow a marriage counsellor to refuse to wed same-sex couples or a doctor to refuse to prescribe birth control.

Redford said Wednesday she was “frightened” by the Wildrose position, a message she repeated Thursday though she denied she was demonizing anyone. “I’m not, but I am frightened,” she told reporters. “I was absolutely amazed we were having this conversation in Alberta, because I believe that all Albertans want to live in a place where we respect each other.”

On Wednesday in Edmonton and again in Calgary on Thursday, the Wildrose leader refused to say whether her party would entrench conscience rights for health professionals and marriage commissioners.

The Wildrose has called for the abolishment of the human rights commission, replacing it with a new division of the provincial court system that could hear such cases in a more “balanced” way. “We don’t have positions on contentious moral issues. We are a coalition of a lot of interests and we wouldn’t get a lot done if we spent all of our time arguing one hot button issue,” Smith said.