The back and forth bickering between the Alberta NDP and the United Conservative Party hit Airdrie recently.

MLA Angela Pitt recently called out the Minister of Tourism and Culture regarding a tweet that stood up for women in politics.

“Women face so much garbage online. For female politicians, it’s even worse. It’s simply unacceptable. Men need to step up. Standing by & watching it happen is not an option.”

Pitt though wasn’t 100 percent pleased with the tweet, given an exchange she had with the Minister recently.

“Days before, while at the Calgary Women’s Centre, in a greeting says ‘Angela, it’s nice to see you. I’m surprised that you would show your face in this place.’ I had to comment on the Minster’s tweet, in particular standing up to all women and I felt like he was just choosing a particular brand of women in that case so I had to call him out for that.”

Miranda was referring to Pitt and the UCP’s non-showing in the debates over Bill 9: the government law that would create a mandatory safe space outside abortion clinics in Alberta.

Pitt and the UCP have said many times that they walked 

Ricardo Miranda's original tweet (top), which has since been deleted, and the subsequent apology.

out of those debates because they felt the Government needed to focus more on the economy and the growing deficit.

After seeing that tweet, Miranda responded by saying “It would be the same response I would give to a holocaust denier who showed up at a Shul to talk to the community.”

Miranda has since deleted that tweet and apologized for referencing the Holocaust, but for Pitt, it’s a theme she says she’s seeing way too much with the NDP.

“This isn’t the first time that one of the NDP Minister’s completely abused a genocide situation, using it as an attack on the Official Opposition. There’s a pattern here.”

Back in April, Minister Stephanie McLean compared conservative politics to anti-semitism. That tweet was removed and McLean apologized following a backlash

We reached out to Minister Miranda’s office who sent this reply by e-mail

Minister Miranda was very disappointed that Angela Pitt shirked her responsibility as an MLA when she walked out of the Chamber 14 times to avoid voting on a bill that protects women’s rights and their reproductive choice. In a Twitter exchange, he went too far in his criticism. For that, he has unreservedly apologized on social media. However, that apology should not distract from the fact that MLA Pitt has refused to stand up for the rights of women and needs to be accountable for her inaction on this important issue.

Over the last few months, the NDP has constantly attacked the UCP claiming their only desire for government is to out gay kids, give the wealthy a tax break and reject women’s rights.

Pitt says she’s getting tired of hearing this.

“It’s fear-mongering, it’s extremely divisive. In no way, shape or form does the United Conservative Party not stand up for women or children or immigrants or refugees or any person in this Province. This government needs to stop throwing mud and turning up the rhetoric.”

 

READ MORE:

Pitt Responds To Controversy Over Bill 9

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