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October 11, 2018
Mr. Coulter,
The Nominations Committee has reviewed transcripts of your comments regarding the Soldiers of Odin
given both prior to and after last night’s Edmonton-West Henday forum (attached).
We strongly disagree with your seemingly sympathetic assessment of Soldiers of Odin and are frankly
disturbed with your cavalier attitude taken to a hate group attending a United Conservative Party (UCP)
event. This incident has resulted in reputational harm to our party and its many members.
We are also extremely disturbed to learn that you were knowingly aware that members of a controversial
group accused of hate were at a UCP event, yet did not attempt to notify members of the constituency
association immediately in order to protect the Party’s reputation. What’s more, you declined to note
your prior awareness to the Party when the matter was raised with you on Sunday, thus further
compounding the harm. It seems that you were knowingly deceptive on this important point.
Like you, we recognize that Canada has freedom of speech, a right we all cherish. That said, this does
not entitle such hate groups to participate in UCP events. Contrary to your statement, the event was not
in a public place (ex. a public park). The UCP event was in a private establishment, albeit in one that is
generally open to customers from the general public. At the very least, it was well within the Party’s
ability to ask the management of the establishment to remove the individuals in question. But the Party
was never afforded that opportunity, in part because you remained silent.
Our Leader Jason Kenney has been clear that such hateful groups are not welcome at UCP events. We
disagree with your statement that “everybody has the right to attend” UCP events. Hate and racial
intolerance has no place in the United Conservative Party. And we do not agree with your view that we
should be “cordial” to racists simply because they are “polite.” A polite racist is still a racist.
To be clear, we are not alleging that you share the same views as Soldiers of Odin. However, you failed
to act in the best interests of the Party and its many members. You acted recklessly and demonstrated a
level of irresponsibility that is not reflective of the calibre of candidates the UCP is seeking.
As such, the Nominations Committee has determined that you are disqualified as a nomination
contestant for the United Conservative Party.
Sincerely,

Janice Harrington
Executive Director
United Conservative Party of Alberta

 

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Lance Coulter Pre-debate Scrum
Edmonton, October 10, 2018
Q: What are your thoughts about everything that’s happened here?
COULTER: It’s been blown way out of proportion. People showed up to an event. They were polite. They were
cordial. I said hello. Had a conversation with them. And I’ll do that with any person who comes to me and says
hello. Now I don’t agree with everything that they stand for. But nevertheless, people have the constitutional
right to voice their opinions. And I’m not going to deny them that. They were polite. Cordial. So I said hello.
Had a conversation.
Q: Did you know who they were?
COULTER: I looked them up quickly. I understood what took place with the Finnish aspect of the group. Seen a
couple articles that said here in Canada they denounced those racial views and intentions (or tensions?). And I
did a quick look at their Facebook page, and all I seen is them just helping out in the community. So I thought
I’d given them the benefit of the doubt and have a conversation with them. Now I don’t know everything
about them and where they stand, but they were polite. So any person who is polite to me, I’ll be polite back.
Plain and simple. That’s…I’m a Canadian (inaudible) and Albertan.
Q: So you’re saying you looked through before you met them at the pub?
COULTER: When I recognized what the symbol was, ya, I gave a quick check. And I determined that they aren’t
what I would recognize as the connection to Finland. That’s what I seen when…just a quick article I seen on
the CBC. So I went, OK, well, I’ll say hello, in any case.
Q: Now obviously, Leela and Nicole, as you know, have come out, and been like ‘these guys, don’t agree with
them…they’re a disgust group…we would’ve asked them to be taken off the premises.’ You haven’t added
your voice to that conversation. I’m curious why?

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COULTER: I wouldn’t ask for any person to be removed. If I disagree with them, it’s a constitutional right to say
something I disagree with. We can’t remove people because we have disagreements. They weren’t inciting
violence. They weren’t inciting hate. They weren’t acting criminally. They were just being people having a
beer, wanting to have a conversation. So I talked to them.
Q: Do you think this is going to impact your chances here at all in this particular nomination?
COULTER: No I don’t.
Q: And why not?
COULTER: Because I’m straightforward and honest, and I’m not going to tell lies to people. That’s why I didn’t
follow with the…with that I didn’t know who they were. The other two, they might not have known. I did a
quick little bit of research. I wasn’t going to sign on to that…I wasn’t going to go with that statement. I’m
(inaudible) for myself. I’m honest and straightforward in everything I do (inaudible).
Q: Now Laila Houle has obviously asked yourself and Nicole to step down and just let her run with the…
COULTER: It’s not going to happen. I appreciate the attempt. It’s good political gamesmanship. But no, it won’t
take place. It’s going to be a nice clean fight. We’re going to work towards what we think is the best vision and
who we think is the best candidate is in the riding. But in the end, this isn’t about Edmonton Henday. This isn’t
about the UCP. It’s about what’s best for Alberta.

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Lance Coulter Post-debate Scrum
Edmonton, October 10, 2018
Q: Some people have drudged up some of your social media followings. I just wanted to get your comments
on that.
COULTER: Well I wish I knew I was a white nationalist, otherwise I would’ve worn a 1930s Hugo Boss. But it’s
utterly ridiculous. I mean, calling somebody a racist, a white nationalist without any kind of (inaudible)
evidence (inaudible), it’s defamation of character. It really is, in a lot of ways. Now I met those gentlemen at
the event. I wasn’t sure who they were. But they were polite. Had a conversation with them, like I would with
any person, like I’m having with you right now. It’s always the person I’ve been, it’s always the person I’m
going to be. If somebody comes up to me and wants to ask questions, have a conversation. I’m going to talk to
them. In regards to Facebook, I also follow Rachel Notley. I also follow half the NDP Caucus and Justin
Trudeau. I like to see all sides of the story. Just because I follow something on Facebook doesn’t mean I
fundamentally believe in what it says. I like to be an informed individual to make informed decisions not based
on biases, and have a balanced perspective in all things that I do.
Q: Do you agree with Jason Kenney’s stance that the party was crashed by the Soldiers of Odin, or do you
think that it was fair for them to be there? Because they’ve come out and said they were invited, and that you
guys knew that they were going to be there and there was really no problem.
COULTER: To me it’s a perspective issue. Ya, it could be a crash. But at the same time, it’s a public event in a
public place and everybody has the right to attend those. Constitutionally protected freedoms. It doesn’t
matter if you agree with them or not. So for me, has it become a hailstorm of nonsense at this point? Ya,
absolutely it has. But they were there. There’s nothing we can do about that. You can’t remove people from a
public event. So, it is what it is.
Q: Are you worried about how it’s going to project for voters in the riding who identity as Muslim or minorities
who might feel differently about these groups?

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COULTER: No, I don’t. Because anybody who knows me as an individual knows that I’m fundamentally not a
racist. One of my closest friends in the city here is an Iraqi gentleman who came to Canada through the United
States because he supported the American forces in Operation Iraqi Freedom and helped with an IED
detection. One of my closest friends who is a nominated candidate here in Edmonton, Ali Eltayeb, a Muslim
man as well.
Q: Have you done or do you do currently any anti-discrimination work?
COULTER: No, I don’t do any anti-discrimination work. I don’t. The people I agree with, I disagree with, they’re
allowed to say what they want. They’re protected by law. Now, the word of public opinion has a different
opinion on those things, and I think they should. Is somebody wants to say racist things, legally they are
allowed to, but I think most of us would turn away any not listen, because who wants that?
***
Q: Your two fellow candidates came out pretty quickly after the news broke about the Soldiers of Odin
incident, and they came out and sort of said ‘we don’t know who they were and had we known we wouldn’t
have had our pictures taken with them.’ Is that something that you share? Is that sentiment something that
you share with them, and why weren’t you part of that joint statement or why didn’t you make a statement
about it right after it happened?
COULTER: Because I wasn’t going to lie about my perspective. I did a little research before I talked to them,
and had a general idea who they were, and understood that there could be a certain level of conflict there.
Nevertheless, from my understanding, their actions here in Canada are more motivated around community
organization, and my quick look on their Facebook page was guys helping a homeless vet, feeding food at a
soup kitchen, and painting a church. That’s what I seen quick at a glance. They were polite to me, so in return I
had a conversation with them. Now everything’s come to light, I still don’t know everything about them inside
and out. I don’t think any of us do. A lot of it is still speculation. They haven’t really made any statements very

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clear on that. If they are a group that believes in fundamental principles that they are white nationalists, then I
absolutely condemn that. But from the conversations that I had, that’s not what they were talking about. They
were talking about everyday concerns that most Albertans have.
Q: If you were a member of the Legislature, would you bring some of their concerns to the Legislature and
bring them up to your colleagues?
COUTLER: If you’re a member of the Legislature, you’re responsible to represent all people in your
constituency, regardless of whether you agree with them or not. There may be issues that you find utterly
abhorrent, but nevertheless, if enough people want you to talk about it, it’s your duty to do so.

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