Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says Justin Trudeau should let parents decide what’s best for their children and get his nose out of Alberta politics.
Poilievre was asked to weigh in on Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s proposed ban on sex reassignment surgeries for minors and the requirement of parental consent for name and gender changes at schools.
“Justin Trudeau should butt out. He should let parents raise kids and let provinces run schools and hospitals,” said Poilievre at a Montreal press conference Tuesday morning.
Poilievre was asked a similar question the day before, if he supported Smith’s policy on banning gender reassignment surgery and treatments and if his MPs were allowed to speak freely about it as individuals.
He responded by saying that the media and other politicians were peddling “disinformation” about the issue on behalf of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
A reporter similarly asked Poilievre Tuesday if he supported “restricting healthcare access to transgender youth.”
Poilievre rejected the premise.
“First and foremost, you are spreading disinformation and you refuse to even describe the policy proposals that are even being debated. You refuse to even list any of them,” he said.
“Let’s be clear why you don’t do it, because you don’t want to lose the debate. You think if you keep it vague and you refrain from actually describing the policies that Premier Smith is putting in place, then you think that you can then misrepresent them and misrepresent conservatives.”
Poilievre then turned his attention to Trudeau, accusing him of not engaging with the actual proposals at issue in Alberta.
“You notice that Trudeau has not given a single example of any of the policies that Premier Smith has brought forward that he individually disagrees with because he doesn’t want to be specific,” Poilievre said. “That’s because he, and you, want to peddle disinformation in order to demonize Premier Smith and parents. Justin Trudeau has spread hatred against parents.”
Trudeau condemned Smith’s announcement last week, calling the premier’s policies “anti-LGBT,” saying that they would contribute to mental health issues and suicidal ideation among youth dealing with gender dysphoria.
Smith defended her policy as one of caution and compassion, noting that children shouldn’t be able to make “permanent and irreversible decisions” that will limit their choices in the future.
“No matter how well-intentioned and sincere, (that) poses a risk to that child’s future that I, as premier, am not comfortable with permitting in our province,” she said.
Poilievre said in his remarks that Trudeau’s opposition to parental rights bills are an attack on religious Canadians.
“He’s accused Muslim parents of being hateful because they were standing up for their kids. He’s attacked Christian parents, suggested that parents cannot be trusted with their kids and I disagree with him. I think we have to trust parents, no one cares for their kids more than parents.”
