PC minister says not enough LGBTQ consultation on school policy
Arlene Dunn says government must hear from ‘folks who live this every day’
Arlene Dunn says while she can defend the fact the review is happening, she's concerned that members of the LGBTQ community are not being heard inside the Progressive Conservative government on Policy 713.
"It doesn't appear to me that there's been enough consultation done, and I would say that's within the community, the marginalized community itself, as well as parents, as well as educators," she told CBC News and Radio-Canada in an interview.
"I don't feel confident standing here saying that there's been enough consultation done. I don't think that there has been, and I think it's important to make sure all those voices are heard before we make decisions."
Premier Blaine Higgs says he believes a policy meant to protect LGBTQ youth may be unfair to parents. (Radio-Canada)
Policy 713 sets out minimum requirements for schools to create a safe, inclusive space for students of all sexual orientations and gender identities.
Among other things, it allows students under 16 to adopt a new name and pronouns in the classroom without the school notifying their parents.
Premier Blaine Higgs says that's one element of the policy being reviewed and has made plain his dislike for the provision.
"Parents still want to take control and have responsibility for their kids, not the state and not the province," he said in Question Period on Thursday.
Around
350 people, many of them students from area high schools, showed up at
Kings Square in Saint John on Monday to protest the review of Policy
713. (Mia Urquhart/CBC)
Parents "need to be part of their [children's] education to understand what they're learning, when they're learning it and how they're learning it."
Dunn, whose riding saw students from three Saint John high schools rally in support of Policy 713 on Monday, said she'll work from the inside to ensure the LGBTQ community is consulted.
"I'm advocating for it strongly and I'll continue to do that. It's very important to me," she said.
Gail Costello, co-chair of the group Pride in Education that worked on the drafting of the policy, said Thursday the organization has had no contact from the government so far about taking part in the review.
"It tells me there's not going to be much consultation with Pride in Education or the LGBTQ community at large," said Green Leader David Coon.
"The premier seems to have a one-track mind on this and he's going to pursue that come hell or high water."
Dunn, the minister of Aboriginal affairs, immigration and economic development, said she doesn't object to a review because many MLAs first elected in 2020 aren't familiar with how the policy was developed and what work went into it.
"We owe it to the new members of caucus and cabinet to make sure that we clearly understand what has been the process, what has the consultation looked like, how did we arrive here?" said the first-term PC MLA representing Saint John Harbour.
"I'm not saying we arrived in a bad place, but I think we need to understand how we arrived there."
Former education minister Dominic Cardy, now an independent MLA, said Higgs brought the policy to the caucus once already, after the 2020 election, and they "largely reacted with support for the policy."
Education Minister Bill Hogan said he expected the review and changes to the policy to be done within two weeks. (Jacques Poitras/CBC)
This week Education Minister Bill Hogan said he expected the review and changes to the policy to be done within two weeks.
Dunn wouldn't say if that's too fast, but said the government needs to hear "from folks who live this every single day" before decisions are made.
She also said PC MLAs have to be "cognizant that not all children come from homes that are supportive, and not all children are in circumstances where they can go to their parents."
But she added Hogan has assured her that there are other mechanisms in place to allow teachers and school staff to protect students who may be in danger at home.
For
the second straight day the premier did not speak to reporters at the
legislature — something he does most days. Opposition Liberal Leader
Susan Holt said that shows a lack of leadership. (Pat Richard/CBC)
The minister said officials from the PC party met with the caucus Wednesday night to tell them about "some of the emails they're getting and some of the concerns that they're hearing."
PC Party president Erika Hachey said she had no comment on her presentation to the caucus.
Some other PC ministers and MLAs wouldn't say this week if they support changes to Policy 713.
Higgs fielded questions on the review in legislature Thursday, but for the second straight day he did not speak to reporters — something he does most days.
"That shows a lack of leadership and a lack of transparency," Opposition Liberal Leader Susan Holt said.
"Clearly they have said things on this file that were damaging to young people in this province and their parents, and to others who are more confused and scared and angry than ever," she said, referring to Higgs's comments on Tuesday.
"Maybe they've realized they're better off to shut their mouth and not make things worse."
David Coon, leader of the Green Party said it was encouraging to see some PC MLAs like Dunn expressing themselves. (Jacques Poitras/CBC)
Coon said he detected "tremendous dissension" among the Tories on the issue.
He said several ministers didn't applaud Higgs's answers in the legislature Thursday and were "essentially sitting on their hands."
And he said it was encouraging to see some PC MLAs like Dunn expressing themselves.
"It's important on matters as serious as this that members of the government give their views. That's key. This is democracy."
Dunn confirmed there were disagreements within the PC caucus on the review.
"It's never sunny, and it shouldn't be sunny. If you're going to be a good person representing the constituents and citizens of New Brunswick, you're going to have hard discussions," she said.
"Not everyone's going to agree. But you have to feel comfortable coming to the table and saying how you feel about things."
Dunn was seen huddling with Higgs and his top communications advisor Nicolle Carlin before she did the interview.
She said she was not criticizing the premier over the review and said she had not asked his permission to speak out.
"I don't go to the premier looking for a green light," she said.
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"Higgs fielded questions on the review in legislature Thursday, but for the second straight day he did not speak to reporters — something he does most days."
Go figure why I laughed
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N.B. reviews gender-identity policy in schools as supporters accuse minister of caving to anti-LGBTQ pressure
Education minister accused of throwing teachers ‘under the bus’ after training session targeted by protest
Jacques Poitras · CBC News · Posted: May 08, 2023 2:54 PM ADT
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"Former education minister Dominic Cardy says he's been told by contacts within government the review was ordered by the premier."
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A premier micro managing every department, when ministers are asked questions they can't give a straight answers.
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Taxes should be used to teach students only
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N.B. reviews gender-identity policy in schools as supporters accuse minister of caving to anti-LGBTQ pressure
Education minister accused of throwing teachers ‘under the bus’ after training session targeted by protest
The Higgs government in New Brunswick says it is rethinking its policy on sexual orientation and gender identity in schools because of a backlash against the guidelines.
The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development confirmed it's reviewing the policy, designed to support gay, lesbian and trans youth, "after hearing concerns and misunderstandings of its implementation."
The review was already underway before Education Minister Bill Hogan distanced himself and his department from a recent sexual orientation and gender identity learning session for teachers.
After a small crowd protested the session last Friday, Hogan issued a statement saying his department had nothing to do with the event.
He urged people with questions to contact the New Brunswick Teachers Association.
Education
Minister Bill Hogan issued a statement on Friday putting distance
between his department and the training session for teachers. (Jacques Poitras/CBC)
Now teachers, parents and others are accusing him of caving in to hate and putting teachers in an unsafe working environment.
"It would appear that they yielded to the pressure of the protesters," says Gail Costello, a co-chair of Pride in Education, a non-profit group of educators who helped organize the session.
"We would expect that they would show leadership, stand on the right side of the history, stand up for teachers and stand up for kids, but that's not what happened. They threw the NBTA under the bus."
Costello said Hogan's statement is also inaccurate because the department was directly involved in supporting the sessions, including by funding planning meetings at the departmental offices.
She said that in late April, however, the department told Pride in Education that there's to be no money for the sessions and it ordered departmental staff to not participate because the gender identity policy was under review.
Part of last Friday's program was to familiarize teachers with the sexual orientation and gender identity policy, Policy 713, so they'd know how to implement it in their classrooms.
The department did not make Hogan available for an interview Monday.
In a new statement, spokesperson Morgan Bell said the Education Department does not "condone the tactics that were directed at our teachers and we will always ensure human rights are protected."
She said the implementation of Policy 713 "revealed instances where the policy is perhaps too broad and/or unclear" and that was the reason for the review.
The policy, in effect since 2020, lays out minimum requirements for school districts to create a safe, welcoming learning environment for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, intersex and two-spirited students.
It says students have the right to self-identify and express themselves without fear of consequence, and teachers must create a school culture where the students "see themselves and their lives positively reflected."
The policy allows students to pick which pronouns apply to them and requires teachers to respect their choice. It lets them establish gender-sexuality alliance groups without requiring parental consent or notification.
It also says each school must have at least one gender-neutral bathroom.
Former education minister Dominic Cardy says he's been told by contacts within government the review was ordered by the premier. (Jacques Poitras/CBC)
Costello believes the review is almost certainly aimed at removing some of those protections, which began rolling out in 2021.
"This is not educational best practice. There's nobody out there who has any education expertise who would want this review, unless they're planning to review it to make it stronger for these marginalized kids, which I doubt is what's happening," she said.
"It's very common to review policies after 10 or 12 years. This is a year and a half. Why are they reviewing it after a year and half?"
NBTA president Connie Keating said Monday that Policy 713 was crafted through "ongoing conversation and dialogue" and "we expect the same would be said of any policy review."
Former education minister Dominic Cardy said he's been told by contacts in government that the policy review was directed by Premier Blaine Higgs personally.
Cardy said he signed the policy in 2020, and Higgs raised questions about the policy soon afterward, but the Progressive Conservative caucus supported it and the premier did not act on it at the time.
He said the premier's role is the only possible explanation for the sudden decision to "roll back a policy that was years in the making" and that has been in effect for a couple of years "without any incident."
A spokesperson for Higgs did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Fredericton
parent Nicole Bethune said Policy 713 has allowed her non-binary child
to feel safe and worries their mental health will suffer. (Jacques Poitra/CBC)
Fredericton parent Nicole Bethune said Policy 713 has allowed her non-binary child to feel safe at their elementary school.
"It means it's not up for debate. Their pronouns have to be accepted in school," she said.
"The principal, their support figures, their teachers, their guidance counsellors, they have to report if they see hate and discrimination and they have to act on it."
She said she's concerned that will change.
"By him clawing back these policies, the worry is we're going to have mental health issues that we've had previously, when we haven't had the support that we currently have in school."
Bethune agreed with Cardy that the backlash is partly the result of U.S. political debates seeping across the border on cable television and social media.
"Anybody who's from the community has seen this coming," she said. "We've been watching for it."
Costello questioned whether the government will also rethink a new curriculum on gender identity and trans issues for the province's schools.
A photo on Facebook shows about 20 or 30 people outside the Hanwell Park school Friday where the session took place. Some of them carried placards.
Hogan's statement, sent out at 5:32 p.m. Friday, said the department received "a number of calls with concerns" about the professional development sessions, which he said were organized by the province's anglophone and francophone teacher organizations.
"These sessions are not organized by the provincial government and any questions regarding these sessions should be directed to the respective organizations," the statement said.
NBTA president Connie Keating sent a letter to the education minister accusing him of abandoning school staff. (Jacques Poitras/Zoom)
The statement does not express any support for sessions on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Keating responded Saturday with a letter to Hogan accusing the minister of abandoning school staff.
"Teachers
needed you to step up and support them," Keating wrote. "To educate. To
stand with them against hate and misinformation.
"Instead, we face it alone."
Bell's statement on Monday said the department had received "multiple enquiries" and issued the Friday release to clarify that the NBTA "hosted and planned" the event.
Keating said Monday afternoon the new statement criticizing the protest tactics was an improvement on Friday's statement, but "it's three days too late. … What happened Friday, that is the message that they should have released at that time."
She said the protestors had "significant fears that were based on misinformation," and the province missed an opportunity to explain the policy while defending it and the teachers.
"No one should have to face any kind of hate while doing their job in this province," she said.
The department's new statement was clearly the result of the NBTA and Pride in Education pushing back over the weekend, Keating added.
"It's unfortunate that it's coming late. They had an opportunity to state the facts Friday evening and they chose not to."
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