Manitoba's school kids should need parental consent to change pronouns: interim PC leader

The interimleader of Manitoba's Progressive Conservative party says parents should provide informed consent to let their children change their preferred gender pronouns in school.

Wayne Ewaskotold reporters afterTuesday's question period thatparents deserve to be notified of anything happening with their children in school.

"And if we're talking about pronouns absolutely, I think parents and guardians definitely should be informed," Ewasko said.

"We get parental consent when students are 14to 18 to go on ski trips so I don't think informing and consenting is too far from that."

In an interview with The Globe and Mail published Tuesday, Ewaskosaidhe wants parents to take part in "what is happening to their children in classrooms."

However, he did not answer questions about whether he wants to follow the footsteps of provinces, including Alberta, Saskatchewan and New Brunswick, that limit schools from teaching kids about gender and sexuality or use their preferred pronouns without parental consent.

Manitoba needs to put "an exclamation mark" on the issue of parental involvement, Ewasko told the newspaper, adding "sometimes the students' thoughts about how their parents or guardians are going to react to their LGBTQ+ identity were different than what the actual reality was."

'Transphobic': Kinew

In Tuesday's question period, Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said Ewasko's comments to The Globe and Mailare concerning and asked him to clarify, saying "trans children are not safe with him in the political sphere."

Ewasko did not speak about the articleduring question period. He later told reporters that he had not read it at that point.

Kinew accused Ewasko of reviving rhetoric that the PCs hinted at in the last election, when the NDP swept to power after seven years of Tory rule.

"The hate-filled campaign that the PCs ran in 2023 relied on transphobic sentiment, and the PC party leader of the day is hoping to put an exclamation mark on his remarks now," Kinew said during question period.

"This sort of division, I think, was rejected in the election by Manitobans, and it's disappointing that that message hasn't been received by the PCs' interim leader."

In the campaign leading up to last October's election, the PCs made parental rights in education part of their platform. But the promise was vaguely worded and focused on issues such as parental knowledge of the curriculum and presentations from outside groups.

At the same time, some other provinces were coming up with specific policies on names and pronouns.

Saskatchewan and New Brunswick brought in rules last year requiring consent for students 16 and under to change their names orpronouns at school.

Lawyers for UR Pride, a Regina LGBTQ organization, argued Saskatchewan's policy violates Charter rights and could causeteachers to out or misgender children. The Saskatchewan Partygovernment invoked the notwithstanding clause to override sectionsof the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and Saskatchewan's Human Rights Code.

Alberta announced changes more recently that include parental consent for students 15 and under who want to change their names orpronouns at school. Students 16 and 17 would not need consent, buttheir parents must be notified.

'I strongly apologize': Ewasko

Ewasko later said he takes issue with the premier's interpretation of thearticle, but not the article itself.

"If anyone out there who [has] read the article and came up with the same conclusion that the premier had come up with today I strongly apologize."

He saysparents "definitely should be informed on anything that is happening in the education world," which is what his "exclamation mark" comment was in reference to.

Ewasko was chosen as his party's temporary leader after former leader Heather Stefanson stepped down in January. He will serveuntil a party leadership convention expected this autumn.

He saysany policies bythe party regarding parents' rights in schoolswould be up to a new leader.

"There's going to be a new leader chosen for the Progressive Conservatives and they're going to be coming out with policy as they see fit for our party."