Alberta Premier's Christian Summit: Faith & Politics

0:00It's April 8th, this is Vancouver News today, local news powered by AI. Alberta Premier Daniel Smith is headlining the first-ever Premier's annual Christian Summit on May 4th in Red Deer. She's teaming up with the Christian Impact Network for this one-day event focused on faith, leadership, and public policy. Tickets ain't cheap. General admission starts at $365 with VIP tables running $4,000 for 8 seats. The lineup features country singer Paul Brandt, conservative icon, Preston Manning, and a bunch of provincial cabinet ministers, plus MPs and MLA's like. Andrew Lotton, Arno Veerson, Jennifer Johnson, Josh Cinnaker, and host Michael Quark. Organizes aim to rally Christian leaders to push for laws aligned with their values, blending religion with right-wing politics. Folks are raising eyebrows over the speaker's track records. Manning's pushed Western separation threats, while others have sparked backlash for comments on trans kids, sex work, and social issues.

1:03Critics see it as evangelical activism creeping into government, echoing US-style Christian nationalism. Dig deeper, and you find Quark's group behind plans to train thousands of Christian political candidates to reshade Canadian laws on biblical lines. They started opposing pandemic rules, and now target LGBTQ protections, with ties to reconstructionist ideas, that view progressive policies as threats to faith. This set up in red deer rinds with Alberta's past, when premieres like Bible Bill Abberheart and Ernest Manning broadcast sermons mixed with politics, back in the 30s and 40s. Fast forward, and Preston Manning's back in the mixed history got that familiar beat.