Halton controversy raises board concerns

Minister, chair say charity issue may interfere with trustees’ ability to do job

The ongoing outrage over a restrictive fundraising policy has both the education minister and chair of the Halton Catholic school board questioning whether trustees there can still properly carry out their duties.

The policy — which sparked a number of student walkouts on Thursday — bans schools from donating to charities that vio- late church values “directly or indirectly” by supporting abortion, euthanasia, contraception or embryonic stem-cell research. It has impacted organizations such as the Canadian Cancer Society and the United Way. On Wednesday, Education Minister Indira Naidoo-Harris spoke to board chairperson Diane Rabenda by phone, a conversation that followed the board’s decision to rebuff a request from the minister to “pause” the policy amid concerns it was implemented without the required consultations.

“Essentially I was listening to her and listening to what she had to say and what her concerns were,” Naidoo-Harris said at Queen’s Park Thursday. “We certainly talked about a number of things, about the importance of the student voice in all of these discussions.

“I expressed to her my disappointment that they didn’t pause the motion in order to take into account the various voices and do a proper analysis of what the community feels about this.”

During the 15-minute conversation, Rabenda also “ex- pressed some concerns about whether or not the board was able to function when it came to performing their duties and responsibilities, since this motion is just getting so much attention and is really taking a lot of attention and focus away from some of the other board items,” Naidoo-Harris said.

Had trustees heeded the minister’s advice to put it on hold, “they certainly would have been able to conduct their business in a much more efficient manner,” Naidoo-Harris said.

“The situation does concern me — it’s becoming very clear to me that various voices on the ground and community members are not pleased with the motion and feel that their opinions and their voices in this were not heard.”

However, she said, at this point there is no need to send help to the board.

“I’m still monitoring closely what is going on,” Naidoo-Harris added. “I’m still hoping that this will lead to a decision on the ground that works for everyone and will really create a way forward for everyone in the community. I am monitoring to see how it plays out.”