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Premier's statement on review of Policy 713

CANADA, May 27 - FREDERICTON (GNB) – The following statement was issued today by Premier Blaine Higgs regarding the review of Policy 713:

Over the last few weeks, Policy 713, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, has gotten a lot of attention.

Unfortunately, a lot of inaccurate information is circulating about Policy 713 what this review means.

I want to be clear with all New Brunswickers that we are not, and have never considered, removing this policy. We are reviewing three sections of the policy that are causing confusion and misunderstanding.

The first section pertains to children under 16 changing their name without parents’ knowledge or consent. As this policy stands now, elementary school children can choose a different name. The school has an obligation to develop a plan for the student to use that name, and if the child doesn’t want their parents to know, the name is used without the parent’s knowledge. The school must hide the fact that the child is using a different name or pronoun at school – to the point of taking down artwork with the student’s chosen name on parent-teacher night. Given that parents must give consent to go on a school field trip or to have their picture taken, I can understand why parents are confused by this section of 713.

Protecting human rights is non-negotiable for our government, and we respect and embrace the differences we see in students.

We must find a way to do this while still respecting the role parents play. Students are children. And while we support them in their growth and development, we also need to include parents in their children’s education. We need to give parents and families more credit and support them while they support their children through these changes.

The second section we are examining pertains to sports and in particular transgender participation in sports and the impact on girl’s teams and scholarship programs.

And finally we are reviewing the section of the policy that allows access to washroom facilities on the basis of gender identity.

I have children, and grandchildren, of my own. I firmly believe we must find a balance between providing children with a safe space where they can learn, and express themselves and grow, while still ensuring that parents are kept informed and are comfortable with the education their child is receiving.

Policy 713 is important.

It’s important to our vulnerable students, so they can go to school each day knowing that they can be themselves.

It’s important to the educators and staff who provide them with a safe and non-judgmental environment each day. That will not change. A student will always have the ability to speak confidentially to a teacher and get the help they need from a supportive professional while they work through big issues such as coming out as gay, lesbian or transgendered.

And if a child is at risk of being abused at home because of their sexual identity, trained professionals will do an assessment and reach out to child protection services for help. There is an obligation to do that in any case where a child’s safety is in question.

Policy 713 will stay, and if anything it will be strengthened because it will have better support from parents who will have greater clarity around sections that are vague and causing confusion.

As we move forward with our consultations and subsequent policy improvements, I am calling for calm. We must treat each other with respect while we have these discussions.

Name calling, and intimidation with the intent of shutting down conversation on either side is wrong. These conversations are important for our children and their parents, and they are not limited to New Brunswick. These topics are being discussed nationally and internationally. We must get this right in our province, and we can’t do that if we aren’t able to talk to one another about it.

I encourage you to tell your elected representative how you feel.  Personal information in any correspondence is confidential. We want to hear from you.

I firmly believe that family has always been the backbone of our society and to ensure that continues we can not undermine the importance of the role parents play in their children’s lives.

In this great province of ours, I believe we can have a rational discussion to support both kids and parents – and I invite you to join me in that conversation.

27-05-23