(Jennifer Johnson official candidate Facebook page)

By Josh Hall | @Vancan19

jennifer johnson of lacombe-ponoka

UCP welcomes back Lacombe-Ponoka MLA who spoke disrespectfully of transgender youth

Oct 9, 2024 | 3:24 PM

Seventeen months after she was booted from the United Conservative caucus, Jennifer Johnson, who serves as MLA for Lacombe-Ponoka, has been welcomed back.

The UCP caucus made the announcement Wednesday afternoon.

It was in May 2023, in the midst of a provincial election campaign, that rdnewsNOW reported Johnson had espoused a school litter box conspiracy theory, and referred to transgender students as, “more than a teaspoon of dog poop in the cookie batch.”

This all was said when Johnson attended a Sept. 1, 2022 meeting of the Western Unity Group — audio from which was shared with media.

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Johnson was promptly removed from caucus, but a couple days later, Premier Danielle Smith stated to CTV Calgary that redemption was possible.

Johnson would have, “a lot of work to do,” Smith said.

On election day, Johnson, then running as an independent, won her seat in a landslide.

Since then, there have been calls for her to be reinstated, including from the Red Deer-South Constituency board of directors, who in April 2024 released a statement on the matter.

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The board, which represents MLA Jason Stephan’s constituency, claimed Johnson had sufficiently made amends for her comments.

But Pride organizations have fought against her reinstatement.

Last month, multiple central Alberta-based Pride groups met with Johnson in a private meeting conducted using video chat.

The same groups ended up releasing a statement a couple days later condemning Johnson for not being willing to agree that a transgender woman is a woman. A video of the exchange also made the rounds on social media, and was even reposted by X owner Elon Musk and author J.K. Rowling.

“Her lack of progress became abundantly clear when she was asked if she would go on the record [regarding that question],” the Pride groups wrote. “This statement denies the lived experiences and reality of transgender, two spirit, and non-binary Albertans.”

Their statement also noted how Johnson asked if they could all just, “disagree and respect,” one another, despite their differences of thought.

New statement released Oct. 9:

“Over the past 17 months, MLA Johnson has done a very good job as a local MLA,” says MLA Shane Getson, Chief Government Whip. “After having a very thoughtful discussion with our caucus team, our MLAs voted to acknowledge her hard work, recognize her efforts, and welcome her into the government caucus.”

From the beginning, Johnson has never provided any on-the-record comment to rdnewsNOW, despite many offers. That is save for the apology she issued in the immediate aftermath, in which she said she was embarrassed, and that she has, “nothing but love and compassion for everyone equally.”

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But on this occasion, Johnson shared through the caucus news release that she is pleased to rejoin her UCP colleagues.

“I will be able to continue representing my constituents and help make life better for all Albertans,” she says. “Over the past 17 months, I have grown both personally and professionally. Now, I am eager to apply what I have learned to benefit everyone who calls this province home.”

Her reinstatement now gives the UCP 49 MLAs in the 87-seat Alberta Legislature.

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