The day after it was revealed that Progressive Conservative leadership candidate Ric McIver attended and endorsed the March for Jesus, a group which has posted hateful homophobic rants on its website, Mr. McIver was nowhere to be found.
As a proud supporter of the March for Jesus and its organizers at the extreme religious Calgary Street Church, it was surprising that Mr. McIver was not defending his position yesterday. Street Church pastor Artur Pawlowski has publicly blamed last year’s southern Alberta floods on God’s unhappiness with homosexuality.
Instead of publicly defending his support, or denouncing the extreme elements in that organization, the former cabinet minister and Calgary MLA hid behind a Facebook comment, and an unclear one at that. It felt uncharacteristic for a leadership candidate who has painted himself as a populist conservative.
It seems that, once again, the PC Party has committed self-immolation by tossing away one of its strongest playing cards – the ability to paint the Wildrose Party as the province’s only ‘Lake of Fire‘ Party. While short-term Premier Dave Hancock is a moderate conservative, who participated in Edmonton’s Pride Parade last week, it is clear that the elements of the big-tent PC Party are not as supportive.
Even if, or perhaps more likely, when Mr. McIver is defeated by PC leadership frontrunner Jim Prentice, the damage could be hard to be undone.
As the last provincial election proved, these type of extreme views may have found a home in the mainstream views of Albertans 30 or 40 years ago, but do not represent the views of modern Albertans in 2014.
Meanwhile, Wildrose Party strategists are sitting back and watching as the PC Party help to make them look less scary in the minds of Albertans.
8 replies on “Ric McIver tosses the PC Party’s ‘Lake of Fire’ trump card”
WR=35, Libs=30, ND=15, PC= 7. That is change.
I don’t see how that Facebook post is confusing. He thinks its his job to be there for all Albertans, even if he disagrees with them. Is he wrong? Or are we wrong for asserting that if he associates with them, the onus now falls on him to prove he’s not one of them?
Maybe that’s the plan, to make Wild Rose look better. Surely McIver doesn’t expect to win, though accidents do happen.
I’m guessing this won’t help Rick assume the traditional role of “cabinet minister by virtue of having run in the leadership race”. Methinks he’s looking at a deep backbench seat, from which he can contemplate his strategic woes.
Amen Jason Morris. I wish more people understood that point of view.
It drives me crazy that organization calls themselves a church after the government of Canada revoked their charity status (because they are not a church, but a political organization)
Jason, this organization is a hate group, no different from the KKK.
They pretend to be Christian in order to get followers – but they are not – they preach hate rather than love, they judge rather than accept – very anti-christian ideals.
Would you defend Ric’s right to attend a KKK group?
Hey Jerry what rumors did you hear about Denis? The public has a right to know.