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.