Tantramar councillor Mike Tower was hoping to send a message to Premier Blaine Higgs about his recent changes to the province’s education policy 713, which protects LGBTQ+ students in schools. The veteran councillor has a personal connection to the policy, because he has a non-binary grandchild.
But on Tuesday, the majority of Tower’s fellow councillors turned down his motion, citing a lack of jurisdiction and expertise on the issue.
Tower’s motion would have authorized the mayor to write a letter to the Premier asking him to “stop to proposed changes, maintain the original policy 713, and consult with school psychologists, teachers, parents and students.”
Three councillors voted in favour of the motion (Tower, and Councillors Josh Goguen and Allison Butcher), with the rest of council and the mayor voting against.
Mayor Andrew Black kicked off debate on the motion by telling council he felt the matter was out of their jurisdiction, comparing it to the controversial French Immersion program change proposed by the Higgs government last December. Tower rejected that position, comparing it instead to a health care issue.
“Much like the hospital, when they were trying to close it down, we had to step up because it’s the importance of the health of our Tantramar region,” said Tower. “If we can’t take that as part of our responsibility and mandate… then I think something’s wrong.”
Councillor Matt Estabrooks spoke in opposition to the motion, saying he did not feel that he or council had the expertise to weigh in on the matter, and that it would be better to wait until provincial Child and Youth Advocate Kelly Lamrock completed his review, which is due in mid August. (Lamrock is currently asking for written submissions as part of a public consultation on the issue.)
Estabrooks didn’t come down on either side of the policy debate. “I would also be speaking against this motion if it were asking Premier Higgs to continue with his proposed changes,” said Estabrooks. “I feel we must respect the legislative process that has been started on this topic.”
“I’m not an expert by any realm of the imagination,” said Councillor Allison Butcher, who runs a daycare inside the Tantramar Regional High School. “But I do know many students that this, if it follows through with the changes, will adversely affect. And I don’t think that we should ever stand by when possible damage is being done to our children.”
Butcher did comment that she liked Estabrooks’ idea of waiting for the Lamrock report before sending a letter to the premier, but in the end voted in favour of Tower’s motion.
Before councillors voted, Mayor Black chimed in one more time to say that while he didn’t agree with the provincial government’s changes to the policy, he felt that the jurisdictional issue trumped that. “I want to make it clear that I am not happy with the changes in this policy,” said Black. “I don’t think that it’s right… That being said, I also believe that this is not something that the municipality should get our hands in as far as the jurisdiction.”
In the end the motion was defeated by six votes to three.
After the meeting Councillor Tower said he was disappointed in the result, but that he doesn’t expect councillors “to just toe the line for me. I respect the will of council. And that’s what I’ll live by without any problems.”
Tower also pointed out that despite the changes to the policy, recent motions from the Anglophone East School District Education Council means that the original Policy 713 will be in force in Tantramar area schools come September.
“What I’m really encouraged by is the fact that at least the school boards are all saying we don’t care what you say, we’re going to live by the original policy,” said Tower. “And I think that’s the most important part.”
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