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“It closes off a big, big avenue of attack on the Wildrose — or, at least, it makes it much more difficult. It’s remarkable,” Mr. Brownsey said.

The Wildrose Party has made attempts since its 2012 election loss to de-emphasize its social conservative roots — by including protections for race and sexual orientation in its constitution.

Meanwhile, the PCs’ social conservative ties have continued largely unnoticed. (A picture of Solicitor General Jonathan Denis is also published on the site owned by Mr. Pawlowski’s organization; Mr. Denis on Monday condemned the group and its language.)

Craig Chandler, former CEO of the Concerned Christian Coalition and once an outspoken critic of gay marriage, is seeking the PC nomination in Calgary-Shaw. A McIver ally, Mr. Chandler was rejected as a candidate by former premier Ed Stelmach in 2007.

In April a motion that would have compelled school boards to allow for gay/straight alliances was defeated, with much hay made of the fact that eight Wildrose MLAs voted it down. However, 22 PC MLAs also voted against motion.

Said Kent Hehr, who put forward the gay/straight alliance motion: “Much of the PCs’ base, or former base, tends to be of a social conservative bent. And it appears that either Mr. McIver and Mr. Denis are trying to corner that vote, or they simply didn’t pay attention to the reasonable signposts out there.”

But Ric Dolphin, a journalist who now publishes a regular newsletter on the goings-on in the Alberta legislature, said the controversy may not be a blow to Mr. McIver’s leadership bid at all.

“Obviously there are social conservatives [in government] and they keep it to themselves for the most part. In this instance, it’s been outed. I’m not sure how it’s going to affect McIver, it might even help him with the voting base,” he said.

National Post

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