Thursday 2 May 2024

Education minister threatens to dissolve Moncton-area education council

 

Judge says 'chaos' can't continue as province, Anglophone East appear in court

Chief justice says clarity needed before school resumes in September

A judge says there needs to be clarity before September over "who's calling the shots at the Anglophone East" as its school board and the province's education minister clash over a gender identity policy.

"This chaos cannot continue," Court of King's Bench Chief Justice Tracey DeWare said Friday to lawyers representing the sides.

"And by the time students return to classes in September, everybody needs to know who is calling the shots at the Anglophone East School District."

DeWare made the comments during a case management conference in a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Policy 713, filed by the the education council against the province and Education Minister Bill Hogan.

The education minister changed the policy last year to require parental consent before using the preferred name or pronoun for students under 16 years old. 

The education council's case alleges the policy violates student rights under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Education Act and the provincial Human Rights Act. The council, which oversees 39 schools with 20,000 students in the Moncton region, passed its own policy that says staff should respect a student's wishes.

It's a policy Hogan has demanded be revoked. The district has sought an injunction to prevent Hogan from revoking it and to block him from dissolving the council.

A man at a press conference Bill Hogan, New Brunswick's education minister, has said he will seek dissolution of the Anglophone East district education council. (Roger Cosman/CBC)

Hogan had set Thursday at 5 p.m. as a deadline for the district to halt spending on the case. After the district refused, Hogan announced he would seek to dissolve the council. 

Under the Education Act, that step requires cabinet approval and an application to the Court of King's Bench where a judge would decide the issue. That application has not yet been filed. 

The dissolution request was discussed in court Friday where it became clear it wouldn't be a fast process. 

'It's not going to happen in the shadows'

"If the minister decides to pursue the dissolution of the council, of course he'll have to file an application," DeWare said. "That needs to be scheduled by the court, so that's not going to take anyone by surprise."

The judge added, "It's not going to happen in the shadows, or it's not going to happen on short notice."

The judge said if the injunction Anglophone East is seeking isn't granted and the minister applies for dissolution, "then very quickly you can see how we're going to run up against September, and I would hope for all concerned that these issues are resolved by that time."

DeWare spoke after hearing from lawyers for Anglophone East and Hogan about the injunction hearing dates.

Perri Ravon, a lawyer representing the district, said the situation the district finds itself in is "not sustainable" and suggested a faster timeline. 

"It seems the minister is taking measures to try to prevent this matter from being resolved by the court," Ravon said. 

Clarence Bennett, a lawyer representing the minister, argued there's no increased urgency.

"There is no urgency, there is no 'sky is falling,' because we can't do anything they're suggesting we're doing without coming forward with that application," Bennett said of the dissolution application.

Bennett said the province intends to file a motion by May 15 seeking to dismiss the Anglophone East case. 

That motion is scheduled to be heard June 18 and 19, along with the district's injunction request. It's unclear how quickly a decision will be issued after that hearing.  

A man with dark hair and a dark jacket stands outside. Michel Doucet, a retired law professor, described a dissolution request as 'uncharted waters.' (Marielle Guimond/Radio-Canada)

A retired Université de Moncton law professor said he can't recall a minister seeking to dissolve an elected education council before. 

"We're in uncharted waters with what the minister wants to do," Michel Doucet said Friday on Information Morning Moncton.

He said since this process hasn't been used before, it's hard to know what threshold the minister will need to meet for a judge to agree with the request and how it will unfold.

Doucet said the minister's request, once filed, could take weeks or months to be decided by a judge. And then it could be appealed, further delaying a final decision.

"We're certainly not close to a resolution of either of the challenges — the one to Policy 713 or to the motion that the minister will be filing," Doucet said.

Hogan has alleged the education council is "using funds in an irresponsible manner" by using its school funding for the lawsuit.

The education council has argued it's a legitimate use of funds as the case seeks to protect students in its care from a policy the council argues would violate their rights. 

In a letter to Hogan Thursday, Anglophone East education council chair Harry Doyle wrote that the Education Act allows an education council to sue and be sued.

"Implicit in that legislative authority is the power to expend funds to sue and be sued," Doyle wrote.

Harry Doyle Harry Doyle, chair of the Anglophone East School District education council, said in a letter that since the Education Act allows the district to sue and be sued, it implicitly is allowed to spend money on such cases. (Shane Magee/CBC)

Last year, child and youth advocate Kelly Lamrock issued a report on the changes to Policy 713, saying the changes "violate the provincial Human Rights Act, the Education Act and children's charter rights."

Lamrock also released a proposed version of the policy he said would comply. Anglophone East modelled its policy on Lamrock's proposal.

Policy 713 says education councils "may develop policies and procedures that are consistent with, or more comprehensive than, this provincial policy." Anglophone East has pointed to that as justification for its policy the minister has sought to revoke.

Hogan has also called on three francophone school districts to revoke their policies on gender identity for being at odds with Policy 713.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR


Shane Magee

Reporter

Shane Magee is a Moncton-based reporter for CBC.

CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices
 
 
 
53 Comments
 
 
 
David Amos

Methinks old Harry is gonna have another bad weekend N'esy Pas?
 
 
 
Robert Brannen 
It seems that Blaine was commiserating with Danielle while hobnobbing at Preston's gathering the other week, and came away believing that New Brunswick holds the same powers as does Alberta when dealing with lesser powers within the province.
 
 
 
 
Matt Steele 
These DECs serve no real purpose as many of them are either appointed , or are acclaimed ; and really next to no one even knows who they are . Best to cut out another layer of red tape , and save the taxpayers some cash by eliminating the DECs altogether 
 
 
Sarah Brown
Reply to Matt Steele 
Of course these District education Council serve a purpose. These are elected positions and acclamation is an appropriate method of appointment. DECs stop autocrats like Hogan from riding rough shod with their own agenda. 
 
 
Bobby Richards
Reply to Matt Steele
DEC positions and number of MLA positions/ridings can be adjusted if a sitting government wishes but they have to go through the proper process. It can't be done on a whim. Actually Higgs said in 2018 while campaigning that he was going to cut the number of seats back from 49 to around 25 but he never did it for some reason. 
 
 
Bob de trelleg 
Reply to Matt Steele
Why not get rid of school districts, the Department of Education, the Department of Tourism, teachers, principals, custodians and maybe the Provincial Government? Let’s start by getting rid of the present P.C. government. It’s already beginning to morph into the new COR party.
 
 
 
danny rugg 
Loved hearing Dennis Cochrane interview on CBC radio this morning about how stupid this fight from Higgs Hogan is. When is the next popularity poll? Higgs must be in no one likes him territory by now.
 
 
Jean Hendrick 
Reply to danny rugg 
Says you 
 
 
 

Information Morning - Moncton
Education Minister says he will dissolve the Anglophone East district education council
\nMichel Doucet is a retired law professor at l'Université de Moncton. Dennis Cochrane is a former leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick.  \n\n
 
 
 
 
Doug kirby  
Chaos is exactly what this government causes...the money spent everytime one of them opens their mouths...lawsuit after lawsuit..let's talk about wasted money...nb needs new leadership somehow 
 
 
John Lewis 
Reply to Doug kirby
I believe the DEC have caused the chaos by not following policy.  
 
 
 
Bobby Richards
The Higgs government always makes up it's own rules.
 
 
John Lee 
Reply to Bobby Richards
It's pretty standard stuff for most governments: "If I do it, it's okay. If someone else does it, it needs to be stopped!" 
 
 
 
Gary Webber
Higgs government spends a lot of time in court, talk about waisted funds
 
 
 
Bob de trelleg 
Here's the thing, while the NB public school system is sinking as fast as the Titanic, the government is focusing on an issue irrelevant to most folks. This is at a time when schools are literally unsafe due to age, mold, and, well, some of them are just crumbling. There is an observable lack of ''discipline'' (for lack of a better word) in our schools. Students (excuse me, ''learners'') are essentially free to do whatever they want. Assessment scores rank NB near the bottom in all disciplines. Sure, swear at your teachers, tell'em to (you know what I mean). Better yet, throw a chair or throw a tantrum. Naw, attendance is not required. Go to the mall. Possibly, Hogan's time would be better spent patrolling our malls and fast food restaurants looking for truants. Studying, naw, don't fret. Promotion is guaranteed. The problems don't just rest with this goverment. Parents are supposed to support their kid's teachers. Sadly, this relationship has become adverserial. Moreover, where is the voice of teachers, the NBTA, NBTF, or the AEFNB? They're all very silent. At least, the former assistant deputy minister had the courage to quit. There are serious, very difficult challenges that need to be dealt with in our schools. In addition, don't expect your local superintendant to speak or act independently: they cannot. Finally, that's the way the system is designed. Play by the rules, or else. 
 
 
Sylvester Pheelyne
Reply to Bob de trelleg
NBTA, NBTF, and the AEFNB are far from being silent - they tried to be intervenors in the coming court case and were rejected. They have been very vocal about what they want, and don't want. Where have you been?
 
 
Bob de trelleg 
Reply to Sylvester Pheelyne
Retired 
 
 
Bob de trelleg 
Reply to Bob de trelleg
Yes, they attempted to be intervenors, but other than that, they have been silent. 
 
 
John Lewis 
Reply to Bob de trelleg
I can agree with most of what you said except for laying the blame at the feet of Hogan. The DEC are the ones not following the rules and deflecting attention from education. 
 
 
 
Jay Miller 
It’s not going to be taken lightly by the court system - From CBC news - "If the minister decides to pursue the dissolution of the council, of course he'll have to file an application," Court of King's Bench Chief Justice Tracey DeWare said. "That needs to be scheduled by the court, so that's not going to take anyone by surprise." The judge added, "It's not going to happen in the shadows, or it's not going to happen on short notice." 
 
 
 
 
 

Anglophone East rejects minister's ultimatum in Policy 713 legal clash

District education council says it won't stop spending money on court fight

The Anglophone East district education council has rejected the education minister's demand that it stop spending money on a lawsuit against the government over gender-identity policies.

In a letter to Bill Hogan, chair Harry Doyle says the council will only agree to the demand if the minister promises in writing to not "repeal or remove" the district's policy, which he has already said he is repealing.

Hogan had demanded the council comply with his demands by 5 p.m. Thursday or else he would go to court himself to dissolve the council.

Doyle rejected the ultimatum in his letter.

Provincial law "provides that locally elected DECs, responsible to their electorates, decide how to implement public education in their respective school district subject to the Education Act," he wrote.

'No options,' minister says

Hogan issued a statement about an hour after his deadline saying the DEC had left him "no options but to commence the process for dissolution" of the council.

His statement accused Anglophone East of "diverting almost $300,000 from classrooms to Ontario-based lawyers to file a motion to fight the rights of parents to be informed about their kids under 16." 

The minister must apply to the court to dissolve the DEC and it's unclear how quickly that might happen.

Harry Doyle Harry Doyle, chair of the Anglophone East district education council, wrote in a letter to Bill Hogan the council will only agree to his demand if the minister promises in writing to not 'repeal or remove' the district’s policy. (Shane Magee/CBC)

It is the latest escalation in an extraordinary legal and constitutional confrontation between the Moncton-based district education council and the minister over the province's Policy 713.

The government updated the policy last year to require school staff to get parents' consent when a student younger than 16 wants to adopt a new name or pronoun at school.

Anglophone East argued that that would violate the rights of students under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Education Act and the provincial Human Rights Act.

The council adopted its own policy on implementing 713, which says school staff "shall respect the direction of the student in regard to the name and pronouns they wish to be called in daily interactions with school personnel and other students."

It has gone to court asking for a judge to block any attempt by Hogan to repeal the policy or dissolve the council.

Hogan argues the council can spend money from its budget "for educational purposes only" and must stop spending on the lawsuit.

This week he threatened to dissolve the council if it didn't comply.

Policy undermines 'public education,' says chair

Doyle argues in his letter that Anglophone East determined "that Policy 713 would undermine public education and reduce educational outcomes, and is inconsistent with the DEC's responsibility to protect its students from harm."

The letter also argues that the Education Act allows the council to sue the province and does not prohibit it from using its budget to do so.

Separately from Thursday's letter, the council has also now outlined its constitutional arguments in its broader legal challenge of the province's changes to Policy 713.

"The provisions single out gender-diverse students, a uniquely disadvantaged minority group, and exacerbate the disadvantage they face," says the statement of claim filed late Wednesday in Court of King's Bench.

It asks the court to declare last year's changes "of no force and effect."

A student with short, dark hair and wearing a gray hoodie and brown shorts, holds  a megaphone from a stage in the foreground, looking out at a crowd of a couple of hundred students. One student in the front row is holding a home-made poster that says Policy 713 saves lives. Students from a couple of high schools rallied in Quispamsis over changes to Policy 713 after they were announced almost a year ago. (Roger Cosman/CBC)

A hearing on the council's injunction application is scheduled for June, but the main thrust of the case — the substance of its legal arguments for quashing the province's changes to Policy 713 — would only be heard later. 

Forcing school staff in the district to address students with names and pronouns that don't reflect their gender identity would be "contrary to its values and practices," says the statement of claim filed late on Wednesday at Court of King's Bench in Moncton.

"They force Anglophone East to participate in practices that will further disempower and harm its more vulnerable members rather than contribute to their success and enhance the vitality of the community." 

The claim cites the Charter's Section 7 on "life, liberty and security of person," Section 15 on equality rights, and Section 16.1 on New Brunswick's dual education system.

That section, which applies uniquely to this province, defines the rights of the anglophone and francophone communities to "distinct educational institutions … for the preservation and promotion of those communities."

Anglophone East argues that the changes to Policy 713 "frustrate" its ability to "promote the vitality" of the anglophone community because they discriminate against 2SLBGTQ+ students who are part of that community.

The government's lawyer in the case has already signalled that he would seek to have the council's entire case thrown out once the statement of claim was filed. 

"There is an adequate alternative remedy that's been ignored by the applicants in this case," Clarence Bennett told a hearing on April 17.

The Education Act gives councils 30 days to ask a court to review a "corrective action" taken by a minister.

That is not the process that Anglophone East is using in its case. 

Hogan also issued a statement late Wednesday responding to recent comments by Michel Côté, chair of the Francophone South district education council.

Côté told Radio-Canada and CBC News that his council was spending a majority of its time over the last two years "putting out fires" set by the province over decision-making powers and over Policy 713 — to the detriment of focusing on classroom education.

"It is unfortunate that the Chair of the District Education Council feels that way," Hogan said in his statement.

"Our government remains focused on improving our educational system for all students. Moving forward, I am hopeful that we can continue to build on positive endeavours to ensure that all New Brunswickers have access to a high-quality education."

Hogan has demanded that the province's three francophone school districts also repeal their policies on gender identity for being at odds with Policy 713, although there hasn't been any legal action involving those districts. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR


Jacques Poitras

Provincial Affairs reporter

Jacques Poitras has been CBC's provincial affairs reporter in New Brunswick since 2000. He grew up in Moncton and covered Parliament in Ottawa for the New Brunswick Telegraph-Journal. He has reported on every New Brunswick election since 1995 and won awards from the Radio Television Digital News Association, the National Newspaper Awards and Amnesty International. He is also the author of five non-fiction books about New Brunswick politics and history.

CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices
 
 
 
139 Comments
 
 
 
David Amos

Methinks a legion of lawyers are seeking tickets on this gravy train N'esy Pas?
 
 
David Amos

Reply to David Amos 
Clearly there will be more to follow in short order

"A hearing on the council's injunction application is scheduled for June, but the main thrust of the case — the substance of its legal arguments for quashing the province's changes to Policy 713 — would only be heard later.

Forcing school staff in the district to address students with names and pronouns that don't reflect their gender identity would be "contrary to its values and practices," says the statement of claim filed late on Wednesday at Court of King's Bench in Moncton."

 
David Amos

Reply to David Amos  
"The government's lawyer in the case has already signalled that he would seek to have the council's entire case thrown out once the statement of claim was filed.

"There is an adequate alternative remedy that's been ignored by the applicants in this case," Clarence Bennett told a hearing on April 17.

The Education Act gives councils 30 days to ask a court to review a "corrective action" taken by a minister.

That is not the process that Anglophone East is using in its case.

Hogan also issued a statement late Wednesday responding to recent comments by Michel Côté, chair of the Francophone South district education council.

Côté told Radio-Canada and CBC News that his council was spending a majority of its time over the last two years "putting out fires" set by the province over decision-making powers and over Policy 713 — to the detriment of focusing on classroom education.

"It is unfortunate that the Chair of the District Education Council feels that way," Hogan said in his statement.

"Our government remains focused on improving our educational system for all students. Moving forward, I am hopeful that we can continue to build on positive endeavours to ensure that all New Brunswickers have access to a high-quality education."

Hogan has demanded that the province's three francophone school districts also repeal their policies on gender identity for being at odds with Policy 713, although there hasn't been any legal action involving those districts."

 
David Amos
Reply to David Amos
"Hogan issued a statement about an hour after his deadline saying the DEC had left him "no options but to commence the process for dissolution" of the council.

His statement accused Anglophone East of "diverting almost $300,000 from classrooms to Ontario-based lawyers to file a motion to fight the rights of parents to be informed about their kids under 16."

The minister must apply to the court to dissolve the DEC and it's unclear how quickly that might happen."

Methinks a writ will be dropped very soon that why the deadline N'esy Pas?

 
 
 
Ronald Miller 
Hogan needs to fire all of these publicly elected officials.
 
 
Don Corey
Reply to Ronald Miller  
He'd like to, but he has absolutely no authority to do so.


John Montgomery 
Reply to Ronald Miller  
For protecting children?
 
 
Ronald Miller  
Reply to Don Corey
They say he was a good teacher in the 70s
 
 
Doug kirby 
Reply to Ronald Miller  
The 70s? That's many years ago...and yes back then people were totally against anything to do with gender or being gay ..this is 2024....he needs to be replaced with a more accepting person and educated individual...politicians are public servant workers really...he doesn't work well with others either
 
 
Timothy Walton 
Reply to Ronald Miller  
1870s or 1770s?
 
 
Brent McMackin 
Reply to Ronald Miller  
This entire DEC violated their own code of conduct as well as the oath of office when they were sworn in. The Minister has no choice but to dissolve the entire council.
 
 
Graham McCormack 
Reply to Brent McMackin  
Exactly how did they do that and he has no authority to dissolve the council.  
 
 
David Amos
Reply to Don Corey 
Welcome back to the circus 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Education minister threatens to dissolve Moncton-area education council

Bill Hogan sets deadline for council to stop funding Policy 713 legal dispute or he’ll move to dissolve it

Education Minister Bill Hogan is threatening to dissolve the Anglophone East district education council if it doesn't stop spending money on its legal fight with the province by the end of Thursday.

Hogan says in a new letter to the council chair that he wants it to confirm in writing by 5 p.m. Thursday that it will ask its lawyers to return any money devoted to the case and not spend any more.

"It is my opinion that the Litigation Expenditure is evidence that the resources of the DEC are being expended in an irresponsible manner," Hogan wrote in the letter to chair Harry Doyle obtained by CBC News.

The district education council has gone to court asking a judge to block Hogan from quashing its policy on sexual orientation and gender identity and to prevent him from dissolving the council.

If the council halted all spending on the case Thursday afternoon, it would in effect stop the case from going forward, before the judge can rule on the merits.

WATCH | CBC Explains: A move to shut down legal action over Policy 713
 

Why N.B’s education minister is threatening dissolution of a district council

Duration 2:17
In a letter leaked Tuesday, Bill Hogan says Anglophone East has until 5 p.m. Thursday to stop spending money on the case over Policy 713 — or he will move to dissolve the council.

The next court date in that legal action is scheduled for Friday, and the application is scheduled to be heard in June.

It's not clear how quickly Hogan could dissolve the Anglophone East council, because that action itself requires an application to the court. 

Hogan's spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request from CBC News for an interview with the minister. 

"This case raises the classic question of, can a junior official refuse to carry out an order made by a senior official because the junior official feels that the order is unlawful?" said University of New Brunswick law professor Paul Warchuk.

"I think it is a classic question because there is no absolute answer."

The dispute is over the council's implementation of the province's Policy 713 on sexual orientation and gender identity.

The government updated the policy last year to require school staff to get parents' consent when a student younger than 16 wants to adopt a new name or pronoun at school.

Harry Doyle Anglophone East School District education council, led by chair Harry Doyle, adopted its own version of Policy 713 after Hogan changed the provincial policy last year. (Shane Magee/CBC)

Anglophone East argued that this risks violating the rights of students under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Education Act and the provincial Human Rights Act.

The council adopted its own policy on implementing 713, which says school staff "shall respect the direction of the student in regard to the name and pronouns they wish to be called in daily interactions with school personnel and other students."

On March 28, Hogan demanded that the DEC repeal sections of the policy, and when it didn't comply, he declared on April 22 he was repealing them himself — one of the actions the district wants a judge to block.

The minister is also arguing that the council isn't authorized to spend money on the case because its budget is "for educational purposes only."

The district had spent $279,917 on the case as of April 16, according to Hogan's letter. His April 30 letter refers to that as "a misappropriation of public funds." 

The Anglophone East council argues that providing a safe, inclusive environment for 2SLGBTQ+ students is part of its educational mandate.

Screenshot of letter                The first page of Hogan's letter of April 22 to Doyle, chair of the Anglophone East district education council. (CBC)

Under the Education Act, the minister must apply to the Court of King's Bench to dissolve a council if the council doesn't comply with provisions of the act "within a reasonable period of time" after being told to do so by the minister.

Retired Université de Moncton law professor Michel Doucet, an expert on constitutional rights in education, said he's not aware of that power ever being used before.

That means it's unclear what threshold Hogan would have to meet to persuade a court to approve the dissolution —  especially when there's already a court action underway touching on the same issues.

Warchuk said the case pits the obligation of district staff to respect Charter rights and values against a government's need to have officials follow its directives. 

But the elected status of the district education councils adds a "wrinkle," he said.

"That is not to say they are fully independent of the minister. … [The Education Act] is still clear that the legislature intended for the minister to exercise supervisory power over these councils.

"However, they were clearly intended to have more independence or autonomy than a typical government official. This might weigh in their favour."

 A smiling man in front of a bushLaw professor Paul Warchuk said the case pits the obligation of district staff to respect Charter rights and values against a government's need to have officials follow its directives.  (Submitted by Paul Warchuk)

Last month, the district's lawyer, Perri Rovan, argued in a court hearing in the dispute that Hogan's approach "indicates a determination not only to have Policy 713 applied as soon as possible, but a determination to prevent Anglophone East from challenging it in court."

In the legislature last fall, Hogan said he was confident the province would prevail on the merits of the court case. He said his personal view was "that we're in the right, we're on the right side of this question, we're on the right side of this issue and the court will rule in our favour." 

Hogan's letter demands that Anglophone East hand over its retainer agreement with the law firm it hired to argue the case, Power Law, as well as copies of minutes from education council meetings last June and copies of all invoices from the firm.

It also tells the district education council to instruct the law firm to return all money the council has provided in trust, account for all money it has spent so far, including on the hiring of experts and provide a trust ledger of all council money held in trust by the firm.

Lastly, it asks the council to confirm in writing that it will not spend any more money on the case or any other legal action against the province without written authorization.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR


Jacques Poitras

Provincial Affairs reporter

Jacques Poitras has been CBC's provincial affairs reporter in New Brunswick since 2000. He grew up in Moncton and covered Parliament in Ottawa for the New Brunswick Telegraph-Journal. He has reported on every New Brunswick election since 1995 and won awards from the Radio Television Digital News Association, the National Newspaper Awards and Amnesty International. He is also the author of five non-fiction books about New Brunswick politics and history.

 
 

Round ONE

 
 
18 Comments
 

 
David Amos
The plot thickens  
 
 
 
Don Corey 
Doyle is playing typical lefty politics, at taxpayer expense. It's about time that action is taken to put an end to an agenda that no doubt goes way beyond 713.
 
 
David Amos
Content deactivated   
Reply to Don Corey 
I get a kick out of old Harry taking on Hogan but I think he is gonna lose   
 
 
 
Marcel Belanger 
Worse education minister ever.  
 
 
Marcel Belanger  
Hogan is playing typical far right politics, at taxpayers expenses. It’s about time we had an election to put an end to Higgs & Hogans Christian Nationalist agenda that no doubt goes way beyond policy 713.
 
 
 
Lou Bell
This is an issue on parental rights , and the left quite obviously wants to take away those rights 
 
 
David Amos 
Reply to  Lou Bell 
Everybody knows that. 

 
 
Lou Bell
Funny , JP has avoided having the Liberals weigh in on this . They're all about getting votes and their thinking is to avoid an opinion on anything / everything . Quite the platform 
 
 
David Amos 
Reply to  Lou Bell 
Trust that JP doesn't care what you think
 
 
 
Matt Steele 
It seems that the great majority of N.B. parents have spoken out on this issue , and the matter has now been settled ; and other provinces like Sask. and Manitoba are doing the same . At this point , it makes little difference what these DECs do or say as they act in advisory rolls only , and have no real authority . It is now a dead issue as the 713 policy as set out by the Department of Education is clear . 
  
    
Don Corey
Reply to Matt Steele 
Link to where the matter is settled?    
  
  
SarahRose Werner       
Reply to Matt Steele 
It's not over until the plus-sized female-identifying person sings. Court cases are being launched in Saskatchewan (per another CBC article posted today). Court cases are being discussed in New Brunswick. It's likely that they'll happen in Manitoba as well. 
 

Round Two

 

David Amos
Content deactivated 
Welcome back to the circus 
 
 
 
  • All Comments

    1. Comment by Marcel Belanger.

    Worse education minister ever.


  • Comment by Marcel Belanger.

  • Hogan is playing typical far right politics, at taxpayers expenses. It’s about time we had an election to put an end to Higgs & Hogans Christian Nationalist agenda that no doubt goes way beyond policy 713.


  • Comment by Don Corey.

  • Doyle is playing typical lefty politics, at taxpayer expense. It's about time that action is taken to put an end to an agenda that no doubt goes way beyond 713.

    • Reply by David Amos.

    • I get a kick out of old Harry taking on Hogan but I think he is gonna lose

  • Comment by Lou Bell.

  • This is an issue on parental rights , and the left quite obviously wants to take away those rights .

    • Reply by David Amos.

    Everybody knows that.


  • Comment by Lou Bell.

  • Funny , JP has avoided having the Liberals weigh in on this . They're all about getting votes and their thinking is to avoid an opinion on anything / everything . Quite the platform .

    • Reply by David Amos.

    Trust that JP doesn't care what you think


  • Comment by Marc Bourque.

  • check mate!! Using the provinces own money to sue the province is lew di crous

    • Reply by David Amos.

    Methinks others would say it is a major faux pas N'esy Pas?


  • Comment by Jay Miller.

  • But Higgs and Hogan can spend thousands, if not millions to defend themselves or to appeal cases they lost justifiably - it’s a power trip which needs to end very soon!


  • Comment by Robert Fish.

  • Power trip much?


  • Comment by Jake Quinlan.

  • Just make sure that government treats both anglophone and francophone DECs the same.


  • Comment by John Montgomery.

  • Such a hissy fit because one went up against child experts on child development topics and then didn't get their way. Now instead of tucking his tail between his legs he will double down and make education worse and children suffer. With something that has nothing to do with the actual education at all.


  • Comment by Andrew Martin.

  • Good, enough wasting tax payer dollars and court time. They only children that'll get any benefit out of this are the children of the lawyers involved come christmas and vacation time.


  • Comment by SarahRose Werner.

  • Didn't Hogan make the same threat last week?


  • Comment by David Amos.

  • The plot thickens


  • Comment by valmond landry.

  • another threat from the minister when is that going to end ?he should know that threatning any public sector workers doesn't work he's just going to make things worse.

    • Reply by David Amos.

    Relax and enjoy the circus


  • Comment by Allan Marven.

  • Quite the dictatorship we have here.

    • Reply by David Amos.

    Come big or stay home is the Irving way and Higgy learned it well


  • Comment by SW Home.

  • Hogan needs to pump the brakes. He has no business making decisions of this magnitude since he will no longer be the Education Minister once the Election is done is a few months

    • Reply by David Amos.

    I would not bet the farm on that opinion


  • Reply by David Amos.

  • Check out the news in his riding

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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