Minister clarifies
Education Minister Dale Kirby said he said what he said. Then he said it again.
Education Minister Dale Kirby said he said what he said. Then he said it again.
Kirby was fielding questions Tuesday from Tory MHA David Brazil about a strange episode last week where Kirby told the CBC there would only be cuts to teaching positions in the province “over my dead body.”
Kirby later clarified that he meant the government won’t change the teacher allocation model.
If schools have shrinking populations of students, they could see the number of teachers cut.
Brazil asked in the
House of Assembly which version is right.
“I said what I meant, and
I meant what I said,” Kirby said. “I clarified my comments and they were subsequently backed up by the premier of the province, and there’s nothing further I can tell you.”
Brazil asked if Kirby was reined in by the premier’s office.
“We are standing up for educators in this province,” Kirby said. “As I said, I said what I meant, I meant what I said. I clarified my comments, and the premier subsequently backed up those comments. There’s nothing further to add.”
Brazil tried a different angle, asking if Kirby still believes cutting the education system will cause unacceptable damage.
“As I said, Mr. Speaker, I can repeat it again,” Kirby replied. “I said what I meant, I meant what I said. I clarified my comments. I have nothing further to add.”
Eventually the two politicians got into an argument about who cut teachers’ jobs in the past.
Kirby said Brazil wasn’t complaining when the Tories cut “hundreds of teaching positions.”
Brazil replied that Kirby cut numerous teaching positions last year in grades 1-12, but masked it by adding teachers for full-day kindergarten.