CALGARY - Alberta Premier Alison Redford says the staffer who mocked Wildrose leader Danielle Smith for not having children is gone.
"The young woman who authored the tweet has resigned from her position. From that action, I know she understands the gravity of her actions," Redford said in a news release Saturday.
She said the tweet, sent Friday night from Amanda Wilkie, an aide in Redford's office, "was entirely inappropriate."
"It was hurtful and does not reflect my values nor those of my campaign in any way," said Redford.
"Once I became aware of the tweet, I called Danielle Smith immediately. I look forward to speaking with her privately.
On Friday, Wilkie, who actually worked for the Wildrose from Fall 2010 to Spring 2011, responded to a series of recent announcements by Smith promising more tax help and money for families with children in school.
"If @ElectDanielle likes young and growing families so much, why doesn't she have children of her own? #wrp family pack insincere #abvote," read the tweet.
When the Twitter outrage grew, Wilkie backed down, tweeting "Fine, I apologize."
Earlier Saturday Smith responded in a news release of her own, saying she and husband David Moretta did want to have kids when they married in 2006.
"After a few years we sought help from the Calgary Regional Fertility Clinic. I appreciated the support and assistance of the caring staff as we went through tests and treatments, but in the end we were not successful," said Smith.
"I consider myself very fortunate to have a terrific stepson, Jonathan, David's son from a previous marriage. I am also blessed to have grown up in a large family with four siblings who have given me the opportunity to be the auntie of 5 terrific nieces and nephews.
"Family is very important to me and I consider this to be a very personal matter. I will not be commenting on it further."
On Saturday afternoon, Danielle Smith had this to say on Twitter:
The controversy caps a very bad first week on the campaign trail for Redford's Progressive Conservatives.
In the first few days, they lost an early poll lead to the Wildrose and Redford was forced to admit it was a mistake to not have her politicians repay the thousands of dollars they got for sitting for years on a legislature committee that didn't meet.
The controversy is also the second time in recent weeks that Twitter has dictated the news agenda — and both times it has trampled on Smith's dignity.
Two weeks ago, when the Wildrose party first unveiled its campaign bus, with a big picture of Smith on the side, Twitter writers and some journalists snickered over the fact the twin rear tires were suggestively placed where Smith's breasts would be.
The picture went viral on the Web, and political journalists wrote about the hoopla. The hoopla then forced the Wildrose to promise to redo the bus to prevent it from becoming a campaign distraction, thus turning the hoopla into a legitimate news story.
Smith took the ribbing in stride, even as the story grew when the bus picture went global on U.S. late-night TV shows like Jay Leno.
With files from Global News and Dean Bennett
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