Higgs called 'deplorable' as education council members condemn review of LGBTQ policy
CBC
Members of the Anglophone East district education council have waded into a debate over New Brunswick's policy on LGBTQ students in schools, with one member calling Premier Blaine Higgs's comments on the issue "deplorable."
"I know it's recent news, it just came out, but the premier's comments regarding Policy 713 tonight are absolutely deplorable," Dominic Vautour said during the council's meeting Tuesday evening in Moncton.
It was one of a series of comments by Anglophone East council members, who oversees a district in the southeast region of the province with more than 18,000 students, that criticized the government and its approach to education.
Vautour's comments came as the council voted to send a letter to Education Minister Bill Hogan urging preservation of the policy in place since 2020.
Earlier in the day, the province's child and youth advocate released a report critical of the province's review of the policy.
Kelly Lamrock said the review appeared to be the result of three emails over 30 months, a significantly smaller number than the "hundreds" of complaints Hogan and Higgs have claimed the government has received.
Higgs spoke to reporters for nearly 20 minutes at the legislature Tuesday to defend the review.
He said parents should be informed by schools if children under the age of 16 want to adopt a different name and pronoun at school.
The premier also said he doesn't think elementary and kindergarten children should attend drag queen storytime events, asking if schools are to promote something instead of teaching.
Vautour said in an interview after the meeting that there are children who don't feel safe expressing their identity to their parents.
"For us to put an age limit where the parent is contacted if a child decides to speak to a guidance counselor to join an alliance group, or whatever it may be that would be outing that child to the parents, which may be hostile," Vautour said.
"We've seen it time and time again in other jurisdictions and other countries, how harmful that can be to the children."
The premier's office did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday evening.
Council members voiced a series of remarks critical of Hogan's claim about the number of complaints that led to the review launched in April.
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