The mayors of Edmonton and Calgary have jumped into the Alberta election fray by condemning Wildrose Party candidates' controversial comments about race and homosexuality.
Over the weekend, Wildrose candidate Ron Leech told a Calgary radio station he has an electoral advantage because he is white. He later apologized.
Just a few days earlier, it was revealed that Edmonton candidate Allan Hunsperger wrote in a blog post last year that gays and lesbians should be warned they will end up in an eternal "lake of fire." Those comments have since been removed from the church pastor's blog, and he said he was "not intolerant."
Edmonton Mayor Stephen Mandel said the candidates' comments do not reflect Albertans' views and should be condemned by Wildrose Leader Danielle Smith.
"I don't think there's any place in our province for homophobia, or diminishing the value of any group," Mandel said Wednesday.
Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi, the first Muslim elected to run the city, took to Twitter to express his dismay over Leech's comments about Caucasian advantage.
Nenshi said Leech should not just apologize for making an inflammatory statement, but also make it clear that he does not believe a white politician would represent his constituents better than someone of colour.
"Our strength and our brand is about people from all over the world coming together to build an amazing community," Nenshi told The Calgary Herald newspaper. "That's why I was so disappointed in Mr. Leech's comments."
Mandel said Smith should be taking a tough stance against her candidates' statements instead of saying they are entitled to their opinions.
Smith has said she is satisfied with Leech's apology. Last week, she said Hunsperger's comments were a matter of free speech.
"I accept that our candidates sometimes, because they're not as skilled at dealing with the media, they may sometimes make mistakes," she told reporters while reaffirming her support for both men's campaigns Wednesday.
"I'm not sure that satisfied me," Mendel said of Smith's response to the controversy.
"I think everybody has a right to have their own opinions but when you're in government and you're making decisions about the future of my children or my grandchildren or your children, I think there's a standard which we all need to accept that is vitally important to the equality and opportunity in our province," he said.
For his part, Nenshi has gone to great lengths not to endorse any party in the provincial election.
With files from CTV Edmonton and The Canadian Press
