Saskatchewan passed a parental rights bill on Friday, which would see parents informed when children under the age of 16 choose to go by a different pronoun while at school.
The bill also invoked the notwithstanding clause after LGBTQ advocacy groups challenged the law in court on Charter grounds.
According to Minister of Crown Investments Corporation Dustin Duncan, the bill is ultimately about giving parents more say over their children’s education.
“It is the government’s belief that parents are partners in their children’s education,” said Duncan.
Some Saskatchewan parents are firmly standing behind Premier Scott Moe’s approach.
In recent interviews with True North, a father of two in Saskatoon, whose children are enrolled in public schools emphasized that he believes children lack the capacity to fully grasp the intricacies of the subject at hand and are, regrettably, being exposed to sexual influences far too early in their development.
“My job as a parent is to protect my boys’ development and be the arbiter of what they are learning and when,” the father told True North.
“This (policy) confirms that parents are informed if their child is going through developmental changes.”
Mother of four, Nadine Ness also said that the public generally supports Moe’s decision.
“When I’m out there in the public, and just talking to anyone in general, they know this is a really good move,” Ness told True North.
“I’m glad that Scott Moe is taking it a step further and recognizing the gross overreach of the courts. Parents are the ultimate authority over their children’s education.”
Saskatchewan isn’t the only government to wade into the parental rights debate. New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs also introduced a similar policy in his province and was recently able to wade off a leadership challenge within his own party.
