Alberta MLA who likened trans youth to feces in food may be welcomed back to UCP: Premier Smith

Premier Danielle Smith is thinking about bringing controversial MLA Jennifer Johnson back into the UCP.

Johnson was kicked out of the party during the 2023 election after a video surfaced of her comparing transgender kids to feces in food.

“I think this is about her being able to explain what she meant and being able to have a platform where she can explain what she meant,” Smith told reporters Tuesday following an unrelated speech in downtown Edmonton.

In May 2023, Smith said Johnson is not welcome in the UCP and that decision was final. She’s been representing Lacombe – Ponoka as an independent MLA ever since.

In a recent townhall, however, the premier revealed she plans to reconsider after hearing what Johnson has to say in the fall when new legislation affecting trans youth is introduced.

“I guess we’ll judge based on what she says in the legislature when she has the opportunity to,” Smith explained.

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The NDP called the UCP’s new legislation “hateful” in a statement to CityNews and said even talking about bringing Johnson back is a “gut punch” to trans people and their families.

“Johnson’s bigoted comments about teachers and students were unconscionable,” said Lizette Tejada, the Opposition critic for anti-racism, diversity and 2SLGBTQ+ issues.

“I and many Albertans want to know what work Johnson has done to demonstrate to her own community that she understands the harm her words caused.”

Smith faces a leadership vote of party members on Nov. 2.

The NDP is accusing her of pitching proposals popular with the far-right during a summer townhall tour across Alberta to try to win that vote.

Duane Bratt, a political scientist with Mount Royal University in Calgary, agrees smith is pandering to her base but says it’s both sound and common political strategy.

“What we’re having here is a very rational calculation by Smith depending on who her audience is, who she’s speaking to at that moment in time and what election she’s facing,” Bratt says.

He believes Smith will win her leadership review with a majority of the votes but said the question is how many will be enough to stay on.

Former premier and UCP leader Jason Kenney resigned after receiving 51.4 per cent approval in May 2022.

NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi won his leadership with 86 per cent of the votes in June.

“Is the standard now 86 per cent, because that’s what Nenshi got? We’ll have to see,” Bratt said.

The premier made no apologies Tuesday for controversial ideas she’s pitched during her summer townhall tour.

“I’m bringing forward good policy. We are conservatives and we intend to govern as conservatives,” Smith said.

Smith’s leadership review is part of the part UCP annual general meeting which starts on Nov. 1 in Red Deer.