Canada is a different planet

[Victor Steinbok]

I like the obnoxious euphemism of "cultural communities"--presumably a
backwards derivative from "multicultural communities". Plus, there is
the usual non-apology apology.

http://goo.gl/BGkoo
> A day after an Edmonton-based Wildrose candidate came under fire for
> controversial religious views, a Calgary-based candidate with the
> party found himself in the headlines for on-air comments suggesting
> his chances of victory in Monday's Alberta election were better than
> his non-white rivals.
> "I think as a Caucasian I have an advantage," Ron Leech told a radio
> station on the weekend. "When different community leaders such as a
> Sikh leader or a Muslim leader speak, they really speak to their own
> people in many ways. As a Caucasian, I believe that I can speak to all
> the community."
> Leech, a longtime pastor running in the multicultural riding of
> Calgary-Greenway, has previously been at the centre of controversy for
> some of his religious views against homosexuality and abortion.
> On Tuesday at a Wildrose rally, Leech apologized for his radio
> comments, saying he meant to say that he has no disadvantage as a
> Caucasian candidate running in Greenway.
> "I apologize if something was said in the spur of the moment that may
> have misrepresented the community or myself," he said. "As a leader in
> the community for 30 years, my leadership has involved over 48
> different nations I've represented. I love all of the people, all the
> different cultural groups, all of the different faith and religious
> groups. I have real heart for the people and to serve in the community."
> Asked about Leech's radio comment, Wildrose leader Danielle Smith
> refused to condemn the remarks.
> "I know (he) runs a private school that has a large number of people
> from cultural communities, he has an ethnically diverse riding, he's
> made great friendships and inroads with leaders of different cultural
> communities there so I assume he was probably commenting on his own
> ability," she said in Calgary.

The Wildrose Alliance Party (formerly Alberta Alliance) is mercifully
limited to Alberta and represents a bunch of right-wing nuts. They
appear to be the local equivalent of the Tea Party, but are even further
to the right on social issues. WAP filled the void created when the
radical right-wing party Canadian Alliance (a.k.a. Reform Party of
Canada) merged with the Conservatives (the "federal Tories") a few years
ago. I don't fully understand provincial politics, but, it seems,
Alberta parties are quite independent of the federal parties.

     VS-)

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