Former Tory candidate says Doug Ford has betrayed social conservatives

By The Canadian Press

A controversial former Progressive Conservative candidate is calling her recent removal from the Tory roster another betrayal of social conservatives and is vowing to hold Doug Ford to commitments he made to repeal and replace the province’s sex education curriculum.

Tanya Granic Allen, a socially conservative parental rights advocate, slammed the party leader for ousting her over the weekend and compared him to his predecessor Patrick Brown, who distanced himself from social conservative issues.

“Another betrayal of social conservatives- just like Patrick Brown,” Granic Allen said in an online post. “What happened exactly? What about these trumped up smears against me? Why did Doug Ford’s team not support me? And what are the next steps? I will address these questions in the next few days.”

“Clearly, Doug Ford is getting bad advice from his advisors,” she added.

Ford turfed Granic Allen on Saturday, saying in a statement that her comments about certain groups were “irresponsible” and don’t represent the views of the party.

The Tories “are a party comprised of people with diverse views that if expressed responsibly we would respect,” Ford said over the weekend.

Granic Allen’s dismissal came just hours after the Ontario Liberal Party shared an edited video showing her expressing views the Liberals described as representing “hatred and homophobia.”

The clip posted on the Liberals’ website showed Granic Allen discussing sex education in Croatia, saying that when she sees the country “trying to push radical sexualization on the young, or gay marriage, I almost vomit in disbelief.”

Granic Allen’s comments have landed her in hot water before. Last month, she defended comments she made online years ago about Muslims and gay marriage.

Before securing the PC nomination in Mississauga Centre, Granic Allen denied that posts in which she suggested gay marriage shouldn’t be legalized in the United Kingdom represented homophobic views.

She also said posts saying women should not wear burkas in public do not represent Islamophobia.

In the online statement Monday, Granic Allen said she will be watching Ford at the first leaders’ debate to ensure he lives up to his promise to replace the province’s updated sex education curriculum.

“I’ve always been clear- I’m here to be a strong voice against the Kathleen Wynne anti-family agenda,” she said. “I intend to remain as that strong voice, even if through undemocratic means I have been pushed out of running as a PC MPP.”

Granic Allen, a former Tory leadership candidate, helped deliver the support of social conservatives to Ford when he won the party’s leadership race in March.

Ford and Granic Allen were considered the more socially conservative candidates in the Tory leadership race, and Granic Allen was the only one to appear by Ford’s side as he was declared the winner in March.

The party did not immediately comment on Granic Allen’s post.

Below is the complete statement from Tanya Granic Allen:

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