Ex-minister's 2021 letter warned Higgs he had 'destroyed' his team
Dorothy Shephard told premier ‘this ship is sinking’ because of his leadership style, lack of trust
Shephard told the premier that he was micromanaging issues, running the government like a corporation and refusing to trust his ministers, staff or the civil service — leading to paralysis in decision-making.
"You avoid and circumvent process because you think it is a waste of time," she wrote in one passage.
"What … you fail to recognize is that there is an elected body from every part of the province that has a responsibility to represent their constituency, no matter how inconvenient it is, or how trivial you think the motives of any individual."
Shephard described the six-page handwritten letter in an interview last Friday with CBC's Information Morning in Saint John.
She turned down a request for a copy at the time but provided one late on Sunday.
The Oct. 30, 2021, letter reads at times like a prediction of what happened in the last two weeks: a rebellion by members of the PC cabinet and caucus upset by what they called "a lack of process and transparency" in the Policy 713 review.
"You do not have a team and it is your own doing," Shephard wrote back then.
"Premier, this ship is sinking because you have [alienated] everyone who could bail it out for you.
"Whether it is with your elected colleagues, your senior management team or the public, your reckless and arbitrary conduct has destroyed a team that could make your success."
Dorothy Shephard's letter to Premier Blaine Higgs (PDF 2000KB)
Dorothy Shephard's letter to Premier Blaine Higgs (Text 2000KB)CBC is not responsible for 3rd party content
Shephard's criticisms are similar to those made by former education minister Dominic Cardy when he resigned last year.
Higgs told reporters at an event in Woodstock on Monday that he "reflected" on Shephard's letter at the time, but its contents and their subsequent conversation about it were private.
"We all can improve one way or another," he said. "I'm not saying anybody's perfect, least of all am I saying that I am. But I think we should really think about the big picture in our province."
He said he and the team around him had delivered good results for New Brunswick, and he wanted to focus on that, not the divisive Policy 713 debate.
"I want to move on," he said.
Shephard and three PC other ministers, and two PC backbenchers, voted with the opposition last week for a Liberal motion calling for more consultations on Policy 713 by Child and Youth Advocate Kelly Lamrock. The motion passed 26-20 thanks to their votes.
She resigned after the vote, and in subsequent interviews, her criticism of Higgs has closely matched what she wrote in October 2021.
On Friday, she told CBC's Power and Politics that his handling of Policy 713, which sets standards for providing safe spaces for LGBTQ students in schools, was "the last straw."
Asked about the 2021 letter last Friday, Higgs said that he had "strong personalities in our caucus, as I think is well evident, and along with that come very hard-line positions taken from many, and you could include me in that as well."
"But I am the premier, so at some point decisions have to be made."
Shephard's letter was written nine days after an Oct. 21, 2021, news conference where Higgs acknowledged "we may have made mistakes along the way" in lifting COVID-19 restrictions in July 2021, only to see a new spike in cases by September and a return to masking.
She said in an interview that the letter wasn't prompted by COVID decisions but by "other issues" that she could not identify publicly because of cabinet confidentiality.
The letter paints a picture of a premier ignoring his ministers in favour of ideas he heard from "agenda-driven individuals" outside government, who Shephard said often turned out to be wrong.
Those people were often people who reinforced what the premier already believed, she said, even if it was at odds with the reality that ministers or civil servants were telling him about.
"You do not trust the people who serve you," she wrote. "You do not value the insight that they bring to your table. You have built a system where no one takes things to the ministers anymore, they simply go to you — and you allow it."
She also offered that she would do "everything I can to help" if he changed his leadership style and started listening more.
Shephard also insisted she was writing as a friend and colleague and was not trying to launch a rebellion against his leadership.
"No one can save you from yourself, except you," she wrote. "And I hope you can see that my incentive is not an agenda of mutiny — it is one of intervention."
Shephard,
right, and LGBTQ-rights educator Gail Costello at a Pride flag-raising
in Frederiction. Shephard says LGBTQ right are important, and the
majority should stand up for the rights of the minority. (Jacques Poitras/CBC)
The letter proposed an all-day cabinet meeting the following Sunday to air the concerns.
Shephard told Information Morning Saint John last week that she and Higgs didn't discuss the letter until January 2022 and that conversation didn't lead to the premier changing his ways.
"I can't say that there was anything that productive that came out of it," she said.
She decided to stay in cabinet at the time.
"I just put my head down and did my job and spoke up when I needed to," she said.
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N.B. premier stands by changes to school LGBTQ policy, says he does not want an election
'I don't want to go to an election and that isn't my intent to do that,' said Premier Higgs
New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs is maintaining his support of the changes his government has made to Policy 713, which was designed to protect LGBTQ students, despite rising tensions in the legislature.
In an interview on Rosemary Barton Live, Higgs said he is trying to "find a path forward" in regards to managing the changes, but backpedalled on a statement he made on June 8, when he said he was willing to call an election on this issue.
"I don't want to go to an election and that isn't my intent to do that," he said.
The growing controversy in the New Brunswick legislature has stemmed from the government's review of and changes to Policy 713, which established minimum standards for schools to ensure a safe, welcoming and inclusive environment for LGBTQ students.
Among the changes sparking debate is that students under 16 now need to get their parents' permission to have teachers and staff use their chosen names and pronouns.
Higgs defended the change, saying information about a child should not be hidden from their parents.
"We're trying to find a path forward to protect the children and to involve the parents when the time is right and have the right people engaged in that process," he said.
The threat of an election on this issue was brought up by Higgs after he faced a rebellion from several of his top cabinet ministers in response to the policy review.
Six ministers and two backbench MLAs refused to attend the June 8 morning sitting of the legislature "as a way to express our extreme disappointment in a lack of process and transparency," they said in a statement.
Approach to review drives minister resignation
Since then, one of the six ministers has resigned from Higgs' cabinet.
On Thursday, after hearing Higgs speak in the legislature about his conviction that gender dysphoria has become "trendy," and how he believes increased acceptance of it is hurting kids and excluding parents, former cabinet minister Dorothy Shephard got up and left the chamber.
In an interview on Power & Politics, Shephard said her departure was a "long time coming" and that she has had concerns about the government's approach to certain topics, like Policy 713.
"I just decided that it was time," she said. "I didn't feel I could accomplish anything more in this cabinet with this premier."
Shephard is critical of Higgs' leadership style, saying it is "difficult" and that he does not "form relationships easily."
Shephard is the third minister to resign from cabinet, the other two being former education minister Dominic Cardy, who resigned in October 2022 and now sits as an independent, and former deputy premier Robert Gauvin, who resigned in February 2020 and now sits as a Liberal.
In response to Shephard's criticism, Higgs said that he recognizes that decisions made in the legislature will not all be unanimous, but the majority of caucus agreed they needed to "find a path forward" on Policy 713.
"If our process is that every time there is a tough issue and we don't agree with where the majority of caucus had gone to, walking away is not the solution," he said.
Trans teen concerned about policy change
Alex Harris, a transgender high school student in New Brunswick, said in an interview on Rosemary Barton Live that he is most concerned about the change made to the self-identification clause in the policy.
Harris, who is now over the age of 16, came out before the policy change. At the time, his teachers were able to use his preferred name and pronouns at school and then use his old information when talking to his parents.
"It actually made it easier for me to come out to my parents because I knew I had a safe space at school even if that didn't go well," he said.
Opponents of the review of Policy 713 demostrate outside the New Brunswick legislature. (Radio-Canada)
When Harris did come out to his parents he said it went well, but he said he knows people who may not have the same experience. He said he has "tons" of friends who came out at school before the changes to Policy 713 and now have to ask their parents for permission to have their teachers use their chosen name or pronouns.
"That is terrifying to them because their parents would not be safe to come out to," said Harris.
Part of the change to the self-identification clause in the policy is that if students are fearful or object to informing their parents of their change in preferred name and pronouns, they can work with guidance counsellors or school social workers and psychologists to get to a place where they feel comfortable telling them.
Harris said this development is "troubling."
"For most people who are concerned about this policy, it's not that they need to get to a place where they can talk to their parents, it's that their parents aren't at a place where they will be accepting of them being trans," he said.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
With files from Jacques Poitras and Hadeel Ibrahim
Former minister says N.B. premier's response to her resignation 'says it all'
Dorothy Shephard says she reached an expiration point, could no longer do any good in cabinet
She returned to vote with five of her colleagues for an opposition motion against Higgs's wishes.
Then she took her name plate off of her desk, put it in her purse and handed the Progressive Conservative premier a hand-written, two-sentence letter of resignation from her post as social development minister.
"He said, 'Well, it's good to get it in early,'" Shephard told Information Morning Saint John on Friday, the morning after the dramatic legislature sitting.
That was his response, and I'll never forget it."
Shephard's two-sentence letter of resignation to Higgs said it was effective immediately. (Alix Villeneuve/Radio-Canada)
Shephard said Higgs's response "says it all" and may have indicated he was already considering a cabinet shuffle.
"I don't believe he's used to people standing up to him, and I've certainly done that on a number of occasions these past couple of years," she said. "Maybe it's anger, maybe it's surprise. It's hard for me to to be in his shoes, so I can only speak to myself, but it was as disappointing as I thought it would be."
The premier's rhetoric about the review of the education policy meant to protect LGBTQ students — an issue she described as "mismanaged" — may have been the last straw for her, but she said it came after years of trying to work under Higgs's "difficult" leadership style.
Shephard is the third minister to resign from cabinet, the other two being former education minister Dominic Cardy, who now sits as an Independent, and former deputy premier Robert Gauvin, who now sits as a Liberal.
Shephard said she's been struggling with his leadership style since the beginning — Higgs has been premier since 2018 — but especially since October 2021.
That month, she sent a six-page letter to Higgs airing her concerns about his unilateral decision-making. She said they didn't meet to talk about the letter until January, and even then, she didn't feel they got anywhere.
"I can't say that there was anything productive that came out of it," she said.
Shephard was health minister at the time, helping lead the province's COVID-19 response. CBC News has asked Shephard for a copy of the letter.
Shephard and Cardy both cited Higgs's unilateral decision-making and lack of consideration for other viewpoints as among their reasons for resigning from cabinet.
Cardy famously quoted Higgs saying "data my ass" in response to numbers on French immersion. Higgs said those numbers he was referring to were "irrelevant'" to the issue at hand.
When asked Thursday about Shephard's concerns, Higgs said "everyone had their own views."
'We've accomplished many good things in spite of Blaine Higgs'
Shephard said that since she sent her letter in 2021, she made a commitment to herself and to her colleagues that she would stay and do the most good she can.
"I just put my head down and and did my job and I spoke up when I needed to," she said.
But the review into Policy 713 was the "beach head," she said.
Education Minister Bill Hogan said the policy now makes it mandatory to get parental consent to use a child's chosen name and pronoun even informally in class. The entire review process and the results have been criticized by many, including the child and youth advocate, the New Brunswick Association of School Psychologists and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association.
The opposition motion passed by the legislature on Thursday called for consultations on the policy by child and youth advocate Kelly Lamrock, with a report in August.
Two
MLAs who also quit Higgs’s cabinet, Dominic Cardy and Robert Gauvin,
watch as the premier speaks to media after Dorothy Shephards
resignation. (Jacques Poitras/CBC)
Shepherd said that during the 713 review, the premier's response to differing opinions inside his own caucus showed her that she can't do any more that would justify staying on.
"We have accomplished some good things under Blaine Higgs and I believe we've accomplished many good things in spite of Blaine Higgs that had been challenged and challenged and challenged," she said.
The MLA of Saint John Lancaster has served for 13 years. She said she would run again, but not if Higgs is still leader of the party.
She said several other MLAs share her views and hinted there may be further unrest in the party.
"I've made this clear to many of my colleagues. You know, some of us will have an expiration date, and we have to recognize when that expiration date may have happened."
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
With files from Information Morning Saint John
Minister says he wants to avoid perception legislation is ‘getting shoved through,’ and he’ll revise it
Jacques Poitras · CBC News · Posted: Jun 16, 2023 11:58 AM ADT
Given her track record, I'd suggest the expiration point has long since past and she's never been any good in cabinet. Glad to see the back of her.
Higgs government won't push forward with bill reforming education councils
Minister says he wants to avoid perception legislation is ‘getting shoved through,’ and he’ll revise it
The Higgs government won't push forward this spring with a controversial bill to overhaul the governance of education.
Education Minister Bill Hogan surprised the legislature Friday morning during question period when he announced the decision.
"We will not be advancing that any further at this stage," he said.
Opposition parties, district education council members, and some Progressive Conservative government MLAs had criticized the bill for eliminating local community decision-making and centralizing power in Fredericton.
Decision-making power reduced
The bill will turn the four anglophone district education councils into advisory bodies, while the three francophone DECs will retain their decision-making power because of constitutional provisions guaranteeing minority-language school governance.
On Thursday, the government agreed to extend the sitting of the legislature into next week to allow more time for debate on the bill, including two days of committee hearings with witnesses.
The resignation of cabinet minister Dorothy Shephard was still reverberating Friday morning when Hogan put his bill on hold. (Ed Hunter/CBC)
But Hogan said after "reflecting" on that process, he decided even that wasn't enough.
"Having the perception that this is getting shoved through, and being done to parents and the public is just not the perception that I want to have with this, because it's far too important," he said.
The reversal was the second time in two days the government suffered a setback on an education initiative.
On Thursday, six PC ministers and MLAs voted with the opposition to pass a motion asking for more consultations on Policy 713, which sets out standards for safe schools for LGBTQ students.
That vote, and the subsequent resignation of cabinet minister Dorothy Shephard, was still reverberating Friday morning when Hogan put his bill on hold.
'We've got some talking to do': cabinet minister
Cabinet minister Arlene Dunn, who was away Thursday but said she would have voted with the opposition, told reporters the government needs to devote its attention to issues like the economy, jobs and housing.
"I think we need to get back on track and focus on the things that are in our platform," she said.
"We've got some talking to do and I think some rebuilding, in terms of what should the future look like."
Cabinet
minister Arlene Dunn was away Thursday but said she would have voted
with the opposition on the motion asking for more consultations on
Policy 713. (Jacques Poitras/CBC)
Shephard said Thursday she quit because Higgs's cabinet and caucus were "routinely dismissed" by the premier when he makes decisions.
Dunn said there's been "a lot of frustration on a number of fronts. This is not something that I think most of my colleagues wanted to delve into, this Policy 713."
Call for leadership review
Meanwhile, former Richard Hatfield-era PC cabinet minister Jean-Pierre Ouellet renewed his call this week for party members to launch a leadership review to remove Higgs.
The premier questioned why a leadership review would be triggered by a policy he says will give parents a greater say in their kids' education — including knowing whether their children want to use different names and pronouns at school.
"The challenge we have as party is to say, you know, are we going to implode within ourselves, or are we going to think of the bigger picture here and the bigger prize?"
He also did not rule out calling an election to put an end to the turmoil and dissent in the party.
"You kind of weigh out each day and decide what's the best approach," he said.
"Right now I'm focused on let's get back to the agenda at hand for the government."
Among the bills getting final reading and royal assent Friday was one that fixes a loophole in the province's fixed-date election law.
Premier
Blaine Higgs questioned why a leadership review would be triggered by a
policy he says will give parents a greater say in their kids’
education. (Radio-Canada)
The New Brunswick Court of Appeal said last year the loophole might permit a legal challenge to an early election call if it were for "purely partisan" reasons.
The change eliminates that risk.
Higgs told reporters Friday he'll appoint a new minister of social development to replace Shephard next week.
He wouldn't say if a larger cabinet shuffle is in the cards to remove the three other ministers who broke ranks: Trevor Holder, Daniel Allain and Jeff Carr.
"I don't know at this point. Obviously it's not a good situation when cabinet ministers vote against a government. I won't deny that."
Housing Minister Jill Green, who last week questioned the process on Policy 713 but missed Thursday's vote, said she still wasn't sure how she would have voted.
But she played down talk of turmoil in the party after Hogan put Bill 46 on hold.
Opposition
Liberal Leader Susan Holt said the retreat on the education governance
bill was another sign Higgs had lost control of his government. (Pat Richard/CBC)
"We were a team in there today and it was a good morning, so far."
But Opposition Liberal Leader Susan Holt said the retreat on the education governance bill was another sign Higgs had lost control of his government.
"It's a great example of the incompetence of this government. …They clearly don't listen, they don't consult, so they can't get their own legislation passed."
Hogan said he hopes to bring a revised bill back in the fall after lengthier consultations.
The decision means the legislature won't need to sit next week.
All other remaining government bills, subject to a motion limiting debate, were passed and got royal assent Friday afternoon.
They include two other pieces of legislation that critics say will centralize power: one to set up a local government commission that lets the province intervene in municipal decisions, and another establishing new health authority boards with no elected members.
Changes to the Official Languages Act were also pushed through with no further debate on a vote of 28-19. All Liberal and Green MLAs voted no.
It's the first time in the history of the legislation that a premier has failed to win unanimous support on a vote.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Former Progressive Conservative MLA Wes McLean says PCs should have ended special pension benefit
CBC News · Posted: Oct 17, 2014 7:05 AM ADT
Calling Austin the Public Safety minister is oxymoronic.
I totally support Ouellet on this one. The time is overdue for the party to step in.
Ex-PC president denies patronage behind appointment to government board
Don Moore's appointment is the latest in a cluster of appointments going to supporters of the party in power
Jacques Poitras · CBC News · Posted: Jul 23, 2019 9:35 AM AT
Higgs government agrees to extra debate on educational governance bill
2 PC MLAs force legislature to extend sittings into next week, hear from witnesses
The house was scheduled to adjourn this Friday, but pressure from the opposition parties and some Progressive Conservative MLAs forced the government to agree to extend the session.
The legislation, Bill 46, will get two days of committee debate, next Tuesday and Wednesday, that will include the calling of witnesses.
Then the full legislature will return Thursday and Friday for third reading and royal assent.
"I understand that there's some probably some good points that can be raised," Education Minister Bill Hogan told reporters.
"What's actually really important here is that I'm going to get a chance to explain the bill. It's not going to get pushed through with everything and I'm elated by that."
Bill will centralize power, critics say
The bill will transform the four anglophone DECs into advisory bodies only, which critics say will take away local community decision-making and centralize power in Fredericton.
Two PC MLAs voted with the opposition Liberals last week to try to send the bill to the legislature's law amendments committee for public hearings, a move that would have prevented it from passing quickly.
PC
MLA Anderson-Mason told reporters that she ended up supporting the bill
because the decision to devote more time to the legislation satisfied
her demands. (Jacques Poitras/CBC)
Gagetown-Petitcodiac MLA Ross Wetmore said the bill would leave "no limitations" on "direct interference" by a premier in school decisions.
And Fundy-The Isles-Saint John West MLA Andrea Anderson-Mason said the bill "eliminates the checks and balances that are there to protect our citizens, our families, our children."
Both MLAs voted with the government in favour of the bill at second reading Thursday.
Anderson-Mason told reporters that she supported the bill because the decision to devote more time to the legislation satisfied her demands.
"We are looking at completely changing a governance model in the province of New Brunswick and the original intention of this government was to do it without debate," she said.
"I'm very pleased that they did listen to us to implore them to bring this to the house so we could have legitimate debate."
Bill 46 was one of nine subject to a government motion to strictly limit debate time and force them to final votes by Friday.
Government House leader Glen Savoie amended the motion to remove that bill from the motion, and the motion passed 25-20.
Anderson-Mason voted for it. Wetmore was in the house but did not vote.
Later in the day MLAs will vote on a Liberal motion calling on the government to reverse changes to Policy 713, which deals with safe spaces for LGBTQ students in provincial schools.
Bill 46 leaves the powers of the three francophone district education councils unchanged because of constitutional guarantees of minority language education governance rights.
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Interim NDP leader calls for Higgs's resignation as party tries to assert relevance
Mackenzie Thomason says three people have expressed interest in leading struggling NDP
Jacques Poitras · CBC News · Posted: Mar 05, 2020 5:00 PM AST
Imagine driving with a friend and you know they are going the wrong way but they refuse to turn around because it would make them look “weak”.
Dorothy Shephard quits cabinet after 6 PC MLAs join opposition to ask for more study of Policy 713
Jacques Poitras · CBC News · Posted: Jun 15, 2023 6:02 PM ADT
Minister quits as legislature condemns N.B. premier's LGBTQ policy change
Dorothy Shephard quits cabinet after 6 PC MLAs join opposition to ask for more study of Policy 713
Shephard, the MLA for Saint John-Lancaster, handed a letter to Premier Blaine Higgs just moments after the extraordinary vote.
"I can no longer remain in cabinet," said the handwritten letter. "I resign from cabinet effective immediately."
Her resignation as minister of social development came at the end of an emotional, and often personal, two-hour debate on the Liberal motion.
Her decision also intensifies a political furore surrounding Premier Blaine Higgs, who ordered a review of a policy that aimed to protect LGBTQ students in the province's schools.
Dorothy
Shephard told reporters friends had urged her to stay and advance her
values within the government but 'there’s no accomplishing anything more
in this cabinet so I’m ready to leave.' (Ed Hunter/CBC)
Shephard walked out of the legislature during Higgs's speech on the motion, but she returned later to join five other PC ministers and MLAs to vote with the opposition.
Fighting back tears, Shephard said she quit not only over the LGBTQ policy but also over Higgs's overall management style.
"It's not just about Policy 713. I resigned because there is no process," she said. "Cabinet and caucus are routinely dismissed. I have been struggling with this since October 2021."
Shephard was health minister at that time, helping lead the province's COVID-19 response.
Opposition motion passes with support from PC bench
The initial version of the motion called on the Higgs government to reverse its changes to Policy 713, which sets minimum standards for safe, inclusive schools for LGBTQ students.
Education Minister Bill Hogan introduced changes June 7 that he said make it mandatory to get parental consent before even using the chosen name and pronoun of a child younger than 16 in class.
The Liberals amended their motion to have it call for "full consultations" by child and youth advocate Kelly Lamrock, with a report due in August.
The six PC MLAs voted for that amendment and then for the amended motion itself, helping it pass 26-20.
Lamrock immediately announced on Twitter he will do the study.
"I am an officer of the Legislative Assembly. A vote of the majority of the House is binding upon me," he said. "I will carry out the direction of the Legislative Assembly to the best of my abilities."
Higgs would not commit to following whatever Lamrock recommends, after the majority vote for his study.
When it's transphobic, you call it out as transphobic."
- Gail Costello, Pride in Education
"I'm looking at the majority of caucus that supported what our minister put forward, so I'm going to rely on him to look at who else he needs to talk to about how to implement the policy, how to engage parents, and we'll allow that to unfold," he said.
Shephard's two-sentence letter of resignation to Higgs said it was effective immediately. (Alix Villeneuve/Radio-Canada) And if a child says no to involving their parents, they should be referred to a school psychologist or social worker to come up with a plan to include those parents, the minister said.
The other Tories who broke ranks, along with Shephard, on the vote were ministers Jeff Carr, Daniel Allain and Trevor Holder and backbenchers Ross Wetmore and Andrea Anderson-Mason.
Whatever Lamrock decides won't be binding on the Higgs government, but the vote represents a symbolic rejection of the premier's approach to the issue.
Shephard plans to stay in PC caucus
Shephard told reporters that her friends had urged her to stay and advance her values within the government, but "there's no accomplishing anything more in this cabinet so I'm ready to leave."
She said she hoped to stay in the PC caucus.
Anderson-Mason said it was a shame Shephard had quit.
Premier Blaine Higgs fields questions from reporters, backed by caucus members who did not break ranks. (Jacques Poitras/CBC)
"She was an excellent minister. She was well positioned in the department of social development and I'm sure she will be missed very much," she said.
"She certainly had a heart for that department and she worked incredibly hard for it and I know she had the respect of the staff."
Anderson-Mason said she supported the amended Liberal motion because it reflected the consensus that had been reached in the PC caucus last week: to seek Lamrock's advice on Policy 713 and then follow it.
Instead, the caucus was denied the chance to see what Lamrock had said, she explained.
All six MLAs who voted for the motion signed a statement last week expressing "extreme disappointment" with the "lack of process and transparency" on the Policy 713 review.
The other two ministers who signed it, Arlene Dunn and Jill Green, were not in the house for the vote.
Gender dysphoria 'trendy,' says Higgs
Higgs was complaining during his debate speech about what he called a lack of openness to the role of parents, when Shephard got up and left.
The premier claimed gender dysphoria — a medically recognized diagnosis when the gender someone feels or experiences is different than the one they were assigned at birth — is becoming "popular and trendy."
"We have a situation that's growing because there's such acceptance that this is fine," he said — a comment that earned him swift condemnation.
Gail Costello of Pride in Education said Higgs's speech was offensive, like many of the other comments he's made in recent weeks.
"They don't like it when we say it's transphobic, but when it's transphobic, you call it out as transphobic," she said.
Higgs said during the debate that Policy 713 "kind of slid into the system" unnoticed under his watch in 2020 and only came to light when people began hearing about drag queen story times in libraries.
The trend was contributing to "an erosion of the family role in child's upbringing," Higgs said, criticizing activists whom he said are trying to make such policies "unquestionable."
Liberal Leader Susan Holt accused Higgs of "spreading hate" in his speech, but said she was pleased the vote and Lamrock's consultations created another opportunity to revisit and strengthen Policy 713.
"I believe that the child and youth advocate will put forward a clear, strong, well-worded recommendation for Policy 713 that the house will be able to adopt, hopefully with unanimity," she told reporters.
Green Leader David Coon said Higgs's support in his caucus and in his party was clearly "evaporating" and he should resign.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
The Legislature doesn't have a lot of space on the first floor outside the chamber. Good luck finding more than three camera angles, let alone any without other MLAs in the background.
When they're taking a break you can forget about reaching the bathroom from the library.
Dear Dorothy
I am writing to you to express my gratitude and admiration for your decision to resign from your cabinet position. Your principled stance against the unfair and unpopular decision being promoted by the Premier is truly commendable.
In an era where political expediency often takes precedence over moral integrity, your unwavering commitment to upholding your principles is both refreshing and inspiring. Your decision to step down from your position speaks volumes about your dedication to serving the best interests of the people you represent, even when it means going against your own government.
It takes great courage to make such a decision, knowing that it may come with personal and professional consequences. By choosing to prioritize the values that underpin your political career, you have demonstrated true leadership and shown us all the importance of standing up for what is right, even when it is difficult.
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