The Government of Saskatchewan’s introduction of its school pronoun policy legislation has been delayed after the official opposition blocked the move.
The government says the Parents’ Bill of Rights Act will now be introduced on Oct. 12.
The act will require parental consent before children under the age of 16 can change their pronouns at school.
“Listen, with respect to including parents in their child’s education there’s a number of school divisions that have very similar if not identical policies in place today,” Premier Scott Moe told reporters following Question Period.
“Now what were saying is that all of the school divisions across the province are going to mirror that policy at the end of this session.”
With the school year already underway – the goal of the province is to get the bill passed quickly – within the next two weeks.
The legislature may sit on weekends to meet that target.
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The Official Opposition put forward emergency motions on Tuesday – in an effort to delay the introduction process.
“Concerns about health care, concerns about the cost of living, concerns about schools and we will continue to amplify those voices because those are the things that we’re hearing from people that are most important to them,” Saskatchewan NDP Leader Carla Beck explained.
“We’re expected to believe today that this [the bill] is the most pressing issue and this is something that required this government, this Premier to call the legislature back – something that hasn’t happened in a quarter century.”
According to the Premier, it’s the government’s intention to use all of its resources to pass the legislation.
“With respect to the use of the notwithstanding clause, we’ve been clear from the very beginning we’d use the tools that are necessary to ensure that this policy is in place,” he said.
“We want to open those opportunities for parents to be involved in their child’s education, their child’s school and directly in their child’s classroom as well.”
Beck says the government’s intentions will be met with the opposition's full scrutiny.
“When the government is suggesting that they are going to invoke the notwithstanding clause to clearly upend human rights, charter rights – I think its incumbent on the official opposition to ensure that bill has full scrutiny,” Beck explained.
While tensions were noticeably high in the assembly, it wasn’t so different outside.
Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in front of the legislative building in dueling protests – representing a split over a policy that’s proven to be controversial in recent months.
