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RED DEER, Alta. — Alberta’s United Conservative Party delegates voted Sunday for balanced budgets and an end to the carbon tax, but there were fireworks after they also OK’d a controversial motion affecting gay children in schools.

Delegates at the party’s founding policy convention voted 57 per cent in favour of a motion to have parents told when their child is involved in any subject of a religious or sexual nature, including after-school social clubs like gay-straight alliances.

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They passed the motion despite pleas from three UCP caucus members to scuttle it because it was fundamentally wrong and politically perilous.

“This is about outing gay kids,” UCP caucus whip Ric McIver said at the speaker’s microphone as some delegates hooted and shouted at him, forcing the moderator to intervene.

“This is about making kids feel unsafe. They can’t join a club.”

“You know what folks, you may disagree with some people in the room with people being gay, but they are gay. They need to be safe. We cannot out kids that are in a club (designed) to protect themselves.”