233159

Canada  

No coalition for Starke

One of Alberta's eight Progressive Conservative legislature members says he won't be joining the new coalition with the Wildrose Party.

Richard Starke says he has not been happy with the policy direction under PC Leader Jason Kenney and has no faith that will change under the new United Conservative Party.

"The tone and the direction and the statements of the (PC) party are not consistent with what I believe to progressive conservatism," Starke said Monday in an interview.

"It's demonstrating a hardness in its attitude towards a number of issues, and a level of partisanship that I don't think is constructive and I don't think is helpful for the people of Alberta."

Starke cited Kenney's comments earlier this year on gay-straight alliances in schools. Gay straight alliances are student-organized support networks to help students feel welcome.

Kenney has said schools should inform parents if their child joins a GSA as long as it doesn't put the child at risk. Critics say that effectively outs a child and could put them at harm of family estrangement or worse.

"As far as I'm concerned (the GSA legislation) is there to protect vulnerable students and to be ambiguous as to whether schools would be informing parents is a fundamental problem," said Starke.



More Canada News



229228