Alberta premier resigns amidst spending scandals
EDMONTON, Alberta, March 20, 2014 – Amidst spending scandals and a caucus revolt centering on her leadership, Alison Redford announced last night that she is stepping down as Alberta premier effective Sunday.
Redford is a strong advocate of legal abortion and same-sex “marriage.”
Premier Alison Redford at the 2013 Gay Pride Parade
During the 2012 election campaign, she came out strongly against conscience rights for doctors, arguing that doctors should be forced to commit abortions and prescribe contraception even if it goes against their beliefs. She said it was a question of “diversity.”
“I certainly respect people’s personal beliefs, but I believe in a province where we have to treat individuals with dignity and respect. We have to live in a community where we respect diversity and we understand that everyone feels safe and included,” she explained.
She set a precedent for provincial government leaders in 2012 when she became the first Alberta premier to accept an invitation to speak at Edmonton's 2012 gay pride festival. Last fall she became the first Alberta premier to march in a gay pride parade when she acted as grand marshal for the Calgary homosexual event.
She also hosted a "Gay Pride Brunch" during that city's homosexual festival to raise funds for Camp fYrefly, which is, according to its website, "Canada’s largest leadership retreat for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans-identified, two-spirited, queer, and allied (LGBTTQ&A) youth."
Her Conservative government is also on record for reinstating provincial funding of approximately $1 million per year for “gender reassignment” surgery, and attempting to pass legislation that would require all schools, including private schools and home schooling families, to give their children “diversity” education. After mass protests by parents and pro-family groups the contentious aspects of this legislation were scrapped.
Her resignation comes after revelations that she spent $45,000 of taxpayers' money on her trip to South Africa for Nelson Mandela's funeral in December and over $16,000 on a good will visit to Chicago and Toronto in December 2012. As a result of the scandal, two Tory MLAs resigned in recent weeks.
Redford said she decided to quit because the scandals were distracting the government from more important work, such as balancing the provincial budget.
"Quite frankly, too much time has been spent over the last few weeks on questions of loyalty, allegiances and character," she said to applause from the MLAs present. "Too many people have been distracted from the important work that the people of Alberta sent us here to do,” she said. "As leader of this government and this party, that has weighed heavily on my mind.”
"Quite simply, I am not prepared to allow party and caucus in-fighting to get in the way of building a better future for our province and for all Albertans. And that is why I am announcing today that with a profound optimism for Alberta's future I am resigning as premier of Alberta effective this Sunday evening."
Redford will remain in the legislature as the MLA for Calgary-Elbow.
Redford read the statement in the rotunda of the Alberta legislature Wednesday at 6 p.m. local time. According to a CBC report, her announcement narrowly preempted a vote by Progressive Conservative riding association presidents being held in Calgary Wednesday night on whether Redford had lost the confidence of the membership and should be asked to resign.
The full transcript of Alison Redford's resignation statement is available here.
