Key Kenney adviser backed discriminatory policies against LGBTQ community, immigrants

EDMONTON - Premier Jason Kenney has described the staff he’s assembled in his office as being “the right mix,” but he needs to answer questions on just how the hateful views endorsed by one of his key advisers serve to benefit Albertans.

Howard Anglin, whom Kenney has appointed as his Principal Secretary, has a track record of defending hateful policies, even those shot down by the Supreme Court.

In the past Mr. Anglin has:

• Called the Trinity Western University Supreme Court Case in which the Courts ruled that preventing harm to LGBTQ students was in the public interest was “one of the worst SCC decisions in recent memory”.
• Stated that the Supreme Court ruling that allowed the British Columbia and Ontario Law Societies to withhold accreditation from Trinity Western University because of its covenant that discriminates against LGBTQ couples would “water down our Charter protections.”
• Written that criticism of Conservative Leadership Candidate Kellie Leitch’s immigration policy (to screen all newcomers for anti-Canadian values) was “overblown and distorted by those with hostile ideologies and political agendas.”
• Written that “if you allow more people to bring over their grandparents to live with them, it will impose a higher burden on the Canadian healthcare and welfare systems.”

“Premier Kenney needs to come clean on why someone who endorses such hateful policies has his ear,” said Janis Irwin, the Opposition NDP’s LGBTQ Issues Critic. “Appointing someone who backed a ban on non-heterosexual relationships sends the wrong message to our LGBTQ community and Albertans as a whole.”

“What’s more is that Mr. Anglin took the side of a Federal Conservative candidate whose immigration policy fuelled hate against those coming to our country. I can’t imagine why Mr. Kenney would need someone like Howard Anglin in his inner-circle but I certainly think he owes Albertans an explanation.”