Betty Granger is a former school trustee in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada who provoked controversy during the 2000 federal election with her comments about Asian immigration to Canada, initiating a national political debate. She later became a campaign organizer for Stephen Harper. School trustee Granger was 57 years old at the time of the 2000 election, and had served for almost ten years as a school trustee. She was already known as a prominent figure in Winnipeg, and had taken part in a civic-action protest against plans to restructure traffic policies for the River Heights region in 1994. Granger and others argued that the city's plans would lead to congestion and create chaos for local businesses. During her time on the Winnipeg school board, Granger was criticized on two separate occasions for allegedly making insensitive remarks about homosexuals and racial minorities. Though, Granger disputed the accusations in both instances. In 1993, fellow Winnipeg school trustee Bill Sanderson accused her of "intimating that all aboriginal peoples are thieves" following a private conversation. Sanderson, who is aboriginal, had informed Granger that he had purchased a computer from his nephew; Granger responded by saying that it was likely stolen. Granger responded to the controversy by saying she had done nothing to offend, and demanded that Sanderson apologize for his accusation. In 1996, the Winnipeg Free Press quoted Granger as saying that students in one particular class were probably performing poorly because they believed their teacher to be gay. She was quoted as saying, "This man is a flamboyant homosexual. He's so effeminate, [students are] put off. The first day of school, this fellow showed up in a bright pink muscle shirt." Granger denied making this statement. At a subsequent closed-session meeting of the school board, she moved a motion reaffirming the board's commitment to human rights and non-discrimination. 2000 campaign A similar controversy arose during the 2000 campaign, although with larger implications. Granger, running in the riding of Winnipeg South Centre as the candidate of the conservative Canadian Alliance party, was widely criticized for remarks that she made to University of Winnipeg students concerning an "Asian invasion". She was quoted as saying, "Canadian students can't get into some of our university programs in Vancouver and Victoria" because of an influx of Asian students, and made reference to "a well-monied population buying up blocks and blocks of real estate" in British Columbia. Concerning a recent