Policy 713 review still a go after Premier Blaine Higgs’ latest statement
Premier Blaine Higgs has been under fire for his plan to review Policy 713, which sets minimum standards to protect the rights of LGBTQ+ students in schools.
He said in a statement on Twitter on Saturday, “To be clear, we have no intention of removing policy 713. Protecting human rights is non-negotiable for our government, and we respect and embrace the differences we see in students.”
"It's possible that he wants to clarify and re-center people around what he said,” said political scientist Lori Turnbull. “Now some of his ministers have indicated that they're not in lockstep on this to the extent that that's the case it could look like he's go some caucus unity issues and even some cabinet unity issues, and so he might be trying to center it back to what he said originally.”
Higgs went on to say in his most recent statement: “We are also seeking to clarify vague and confusing language around transgender participation in sports and access to washroom facilities based on gender identity.”
Nicki Lyons-MacFarlane with Imprint Youth Association says they have reached out to the Premier to consult on the policy with no reply.
"The premier has not been listening to all of our concerns and he is still proceeding with reviews without listening,” Lyons-MacFarlane said. "There's been a lot of conversation about how we can protect our youth and a lot about our own safety because the premier is using a lot of far right rhetoric that has been debunked."
Higg’s statement continued saying that people should reach out to their elected representatives to provide feedback on the policy.
Higgs denied CTV's request to speak on the statement.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.