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
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.
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.
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.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
"It's a bit of a complicated pattern; we've got a lot going on," said Jennifer Smith of the Meteorological Service of Canada in an interview with CTVNews.ca on Wednesday. "[As is] typical with weather, all of these things are related."
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war grows
Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests.
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.
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.