Today, Alberta Party Leader Glenn Taylor released the statement below concerning Wildrose Candidate Allan Hunsperger's campaign to remove the anti-bullying program from Edmonton public schools. Mr. Taylor is calling on Wildrose leader to stand up for the safety of our children and remove Mr. Hunsperger as a candidate for the Wildrose Party.

EDMONTON - Over the weekend, it was revealed that Wildrose Candidate Allan Hunsperger had condemned the Edmonton Public School Board for adopting a policy to prevent bullying of gay and lesbian children in the public school system in a blog post.

It is one thing to hold personal views; it is quite another thing to condemn a public institution for trying to make our schools safe places for all children. Every day gay and lesbian children are bullied in schools and too often this bullying leads to tragic results. The fact that Mr. Hunsperger has advocated against policies that protect children makes him unfit for public office.

Today I am calling on Wildrose Party Leader Danielle Smith to show leadership and remove Mr. Hunsperger from her slate of candidates. While a political party should allow for a diversity of opinion amongst its members, there must be a baseline of common values. If the Wildrose Party values tolerance, understanding and policies that protect our children, Danielle Smith must remove Mr. Hunsperger from her slate of candidates and she must do so today.

This is a question of leadership. Danielle Smith has an opportunity to make a clear statement on where the Wildrose Party stands on protecting our children.

Glenn Taylor, Leader