Alberta conservatives vote to end carbon tax, tell parents if child joins GSA

By The Canadian Press The Canadian Press

WATCH ABOVE: Alberta's UCP party is gathered in Red Deer this weekend to discuss what their party stands for and how to prepare for the next provincial election. Julia Wong reports.

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Alberta’s United Conservative Party delegates have voted to pursue ending the carbon tax, and to have parents told if their child joins a gay-straight alliance at school.

The delegates, at their founding convention in Red Deer, voted 98 per cent to end the government’s carbon tax on gasoline and home heating fuels.

Party leader Jason Kenney has said the tax punishes Albertans with no benefit to the environment, and has already said the first job of his government would be a bill to end the levy.

The party also voted 57 per cent to mandate that parents be told when their child joins an after school club, which would include gay-straight alliances.

It was a contentious vote and three UCP MLAs urged delegates to vote against it, saying that passing the resolution would brand the party as intolerant.

Gay-straight alliances are student-led peer groups designed to help LGBTQ students feel welcome and prevent bullying, but advocates say kids won’t join if they know parents will be told.