Candidate gave white nationalists ‘benefit of the doubt’

EDMONTON A candidate vying for the UCP nomination in Edmonton-West Henday knew who Soldiers of Odin were when he spoke with members of the group at a party pub night, but he’s not considering dropping out of the race.

“(The Soldiers of Odin) weren’t inciting violence, they weren’t inciting hate. They were acting friendly, they were people just having a beer who wanted to have a conversation, so I talked to them,” Lance Coulter told media Wednesday night before a candidate forum at Hyatt Place. “I don’t agree with everything they stand for. Nevertheless, people have a constitutional right to voice their opinions, and I’m not going to deny them that.”

The furor began Friday night, when members of Soldiers of Odin — an anti-immigration, white nationalist organization — showed up at a UCP Edmonton-West Henday constituency association pub night.

Coulter and his competitors Leila Houle and Nicole Williams were photographed with members of the organization who were wearing Soldiers of Odin vests and hats.

Houle and Williams were quick to distance themselves afterwards, saying they had no idea who the people were. But Coulter said he did know, thanks to a quick Google search when he saw their insignia. That search also turned up articles where the organization denounced racism, he said, “so I thought I’d give them the benefit of the doubt and have a conversation with them.”

And as far as he’s concerned, the whole thing “has been blown way out of proportion.”

Although Williams and Houle both addressed what they called “the elephant in the room” at Wednesday ’s forum, the night was more about candidates giving their opinions on policy.

Earlier Wednesday Houle, who is Cree, asked her competitors to drop out of the nomination race, citing her idea to establish a permanent anti-hate task force to identify and monitor members of hate groups if the UCP forms government.

Coulter and Williams both dismissed the idea of leaving the race.