The United Conservative Party’s Lethbridge-West candidate has resigned following statements claiming children in school are being “exposed to pornography materials.”
Torry Tanner announced her resignation through a statement posted on the UCP’s twitter on March 30.
“My decision to run for office was rooted in a desire to make sure a UCP government was elected to keep Alberta on the right track forward,” it reads. “During the nomination process I made a video that, at its core, spoke to my commitment to protecting children. However, it’s clear that my choice of words have distracted not only from the issue I was trying to discuss, but are being used by my political opponents to hurt our chances of winning across the province.”
Lethbridge-West NDP MLA Shannon Phillips and 2SLGBTQ+ Issues Critic Janis Irwin put out a statement on March 29 calling for the UCP to remove Tanner as a candidate.
“The baseless claims made by Torry Tanner are dangerous and harmful, and they do not represent the Lethbridge that we know and love. We are inclusive and respectful, and Tanner should take the time to learn more about the community she is hoping to represent,” reads the statement.
The video in question was posted a YouTube channel for Tanner’s campaign and has since been removed. In it, Tanner also claimed teachers help students change their gender identity without parents knowing.
”Alarmingly, we are seeing increased instances where kids, even those attending kindergarten, are being exposed to pornographic materials, or worse yet, having teachers help them change their gender identity with absolutely no parental consent or knowledge whatsoever,” she said in the video.
A statement from Premier Danielle Smith says the UCP is working to appoint a replacement for the Lethbridge-West candidacy.