Notley must apologize to Catholics for sex-ed comments: UCP’s McIver
United Conservative Party chief whip Ric McIver demanded Premier Rachel Notley apologize to all Alberta Catholics Monday for her comments about sex education documents, saying she “maligned an entire faith community.”
“The premier accused every Catholic in Alberta essentially of being in favour of non-consensual sex, or rape, and she needs to apologize,” McIver, who is Catholic, said in an interview Monday.
At issue is Notley’s response to documents authored by Catholic school superintendents, which outlined their concerns about what might be included about consent in a new health and wellness curriculum. Postmedia obtained the documents with a freedom of information request.
“Consent is the law in Alberta and under no circumstances will any child in Alberta be taught that they have to somehow accept illegal behaviour in a sexual relationship. The end,” Notley told The Canadian Press last week.
Although the document written by the superintendents says “consent is always necessary,” it also says, “we guard against a reductionist view of our human sexuality that consent is the most important factor in decision making.”
McIver’s comments came as MLAs gathered for the first day of the legislature’s fall sitting. Notley had left the chamber when McIver made his demand.
McIver “grossly mischaracterized” the premier’s comments, said Notley’s spokeswoman, Cheryl Oates, in a Monday email.
“Premier Notley has always said that she would continue to work with the Catholic school system to find common ground and deliver a curriculum that is best for the health and safety of children,” Oates wrote.
The Catholic superintendents had applied for a government grant for $66,005 to write a sex education curriculum parallel to the one currently under development by a provincial working group. When the government turned down their request, the superintendents listed potential new curricular outcomes that could be “problematic,” including “promoting ” same-sex relationships, contraception or the belief a person’s gender identity is different from their sex at birth.
Newly elected Edmonton Catholic school board chairman Terry Harris said Monday a foundational belief of Catholicism is respect and dignity for all.
“For me, a suggestion that we would do anything to the contrary of that, or support anything to the contrary of that, doesn’t sit well,” Harris said.
After a swearing-in ceremony Monday, Edmonton Catholic trustees voted for Harris as the new board chair, and Ward 72 trustee Sandra Palazzo as vice-chair.