Juno News - May 14, 2022


Tanya Granic Allen on Doug Ford, Sex-Ed and Critical Race Theory


Episode Stats


Length

8 minutes

Words per minute

203.1315

Word count

1,626

Sentence count

100

Harmful content

Misogyny

1

sentences flagged

Toxicity

1

sentences flagged


Summary

Summaries generated with gmurro/bart-large-finetuned-filtered-spotify-podcast-summ .

Tanya Granik-Allen is the host of the show Counterpoint on the News Forum and was also a Leadership Candidate in the 2018 Ontario PC Leadership Prize. In this episode, Tanya talks about why she decided to come out to Toronto to speak at the Canada Strong and Free Network Conference.

Transcript

Transcript generated with Whisper (turbo).
Misogyny classifications generated with MilaNLProc/bert-base-uncased-ear-misogyny .
Toxicity classifications generated with s-nlp/roberta_toxicity_classifier .
00:00:00.000 So I'm here at the Canada Strong and Free Network Conference,
00:00:04.320 it's formerly known as the Manning Networking Conference with Tanya Granik-Allen.
00:00:08.320 Tanya is the host of the show Counterpoint on the News Forum
00:00:11.960 and she was also a leadership candidate in the 2018 Ontario PC Leadership Prize.
00:00:18.040 Tanya, thank you so much for joining me.
00:00:19.320 Thanks for having me here.
00:00:20.460 So why did you decide to come out to this conference?
00:00:23.520 Well, it's very exciting.
00:00:24.780 The News Forum is here as a part sponsor of this event.
00:00:28.200 We actually hosted the last Canada Strong and Free Conference virtually
00:00:34.480 when everything was locked down with COVID.
00:00:36.220 So at our studios we hosted the whole conference,
00:00:39.680 we looped in people virtually, it kind of worked out.
00:00:41.840 Obviously it was a tough situation but we made it work
00:00:43.880 and this year we're here in person.
00:00:45.460 We have a booth and we've been interviewing people all weekend.
00:00:47.720 Well, that's amazing.
00:00:48.700 As we're speaking right now, Ontario is in an election campaign.
00:00:52.700 I know that last time around you were supposed to be a PC candidate.
00:00:56.100 Of course, you were, in my opinion, cancelled and that didn't go your way.
00:01:01.480 But this time around, how are you personally feeling about Doug Ford?
00:01:05.420 How have the last four years been?
00:01:07.320 Well, I haven't heard from Doug Ford in four years
00:01:09.680 and not even on the day that I was cancelled.
00:01:11.540 So Doug Ford's not on my radar, if you will.
00:01:13.980 But in terms of how things are, obviously COVID responses is top of mind for a lot of voters.
00:01:21.600 You know, many of us haven't forgotten about the government's flip-flop
00:01:24.660 on their promise and commitment to repeal the sex ed curriculum
00:01:26.960 with the gender identity theory.
00:01:28.940 Now apparently critical race theory might become an election issue. 0.66
00:01:32.200 Housing affordability is of course a huge issue
00:01:34.340 for many young Ontarians who want to get into the market.
00:01:38.140 So it should be probably a tighter race than some predicted on the onset,
00:01:43.240 but we'll have to see what happens.
00:01:44.840 Yeah, absolutely.
00:01:46.060 Last time we spoke, we had talked about how the sex ed curriculum
00:01:50.420 that was brought in, supposedly the improved one, was actually not that better.
00:01:54.260 Do you want to maybe explain to our viewers
00:01:55.540 why the Ford sex ed is, in your opinion, not better than the Wynn sex ed?
00:01:59.920 Well, through a court case in which the Assistant Deputy Minister of Education,
00:02:05.320 when the Teachers Union was taking the Ford government
00:02:08.040 or the Ministry of Education to court over the repealing of the Wynn sex ed,
00:02:12.080 you know, there was an outcry where you're causing a chilling effect in the classroom,
00:02:15.940 teachers won't be able to teach freely,
00:02:17.480 and the Assistant Deputy Minister in the Education Department said,
00:02:20.900 no, teachers can teach whatever they like with whatever resources they like
00:02:24.560 at whatever age they like, essentially.
00:02:27.380 They just can't test on it until the prescribed grade.
00:02:29.760 So that basically has opened the floodgates,
00:02:31.580 and that's why we've seen a lot more activist teachers
00:02:34.560 taking that direction, if you will, and continuing with.
00:02:37.960 And yes, it's true that they're virtually identical, 0.73
00:02:40.240 the Kathleen Wynne sex ed and the Doug Ford sex ed.
00:02:42.440 So it was a lot of money for a lot of nothing, I guess you could say.
00:02:46.020 Right, for sure.
00:02:46.900 And you touched earlier on a critical race theory that's also becoming an issue.
00:02:51.400 Why do you think that, unlike the Republicans in the United States,
00:02:55.160 why do you think that some conservative provincial governments here in Canada
00:02:58.160 seem to shy away from pushing back on critical race theory
00:03:00.740 or maybe even embrace critical race theory?
00:03:02.320 Well, I think, not just even with the government,
00:03:05.000 but I think Canadians in general just don't understand what critical race theory is.
00:03:08.700 So I think we are now entering a spring, literally and figuratively,
00:03:12.280 of where Canadians are going to become educated on this issue.
00:03:14.780 You see a lot more Canadians speaking out,
00:03:16.880 educating us on what is critical race theory,
00:03:19.620 what are some of the more concerns with it,
00:03:21.920 and why it may not be the best lens to apply
00:03:23.900 if we're looking to, obviously, reduce racism and things like that.
00:03:29.100 So, you know, I interviewed a guest recently who is African-Canadian,
00:03:35.060 and he was explaining how critical race theory is actually rooted in Marxism.
00:03:38.720 And, you know, most Canadians don't want that kind of thing.
00:03:41.320 So I think Canadians are waking up,
00:03:43.540 Ontarians are going to wake up,
00:03:44.560 and they're realizing what this is.
00:03:46.700 And as children come home from school,
00:03:49.140 because there are activist teachers still teaching this in school,
00:03:51.860 they are hearing more and more about it.
00:03:53.300 So, what can parents do to maybe ensure their kids don't,
00:03:58.880 maybe, you know, maybe if a parent is concerned,
00:04:01.180 that they don't want their kids learning this stuff,
00:04:02.660 or they know their kids are being taught this stuff,
00:04:04.040 and they maybe want to educate their kid.
00:04:05.880 Like, what should a parent do if they're aware
00:04:07.820 that critical race theory is being taught in their schools?
00:04:09.940 Well, we hear a lot of complaints,
00:04:11.000 not just on critical race theory,
00:04:12.060 but also with a gender ideology.
00:04:13.620 So I always tell parents, look,
00:04:15.200 speak to your teacher right on the opposite.
00:04:17.040 If you're in a public education system,
00:04:18.540 or even private for that matter,
00:04:19.900 because there's a lot of private schools
00:04:20.860 who are delving into this theory.
00:04:22.600 But speak to the teacher, the instructor of your child,
00:04:25.120 make it very clear what is and what isn't acceptable to you,
00:04:28.000 that, you know, stick to the facts and the figures,
00:04:30.760 and let's not go into experimental theories
00:04:33.120 or radical theories here.
00:04:35.320 And just make your boundaries very clearly known.
00:04:38.060 And if it's a lesson that you don't feel comfortable
00:04:39.940 your child is learning,
00:04:41.040 then pull them out if possible.
00:04:42.760 It's really hard to do, though,
00:04:43.780 because without advance notice,
00:04:45.680 you know, how would you know when that lesson is coming?
00:04:47.520 Absolutely.
00:04:48.300 I've got to ask you a bit now about the leadership race.
00:04:50.240 During your run in 2018,
00:04:52.860 actually at this convention center,
00:04:54.720 you had blasted Patrick Brown.
00:04:56.460 You said he should not be able to run as a PC candidate.
00:05:00.260 You were very strong about that.
00:05:02.040 He wasn't here last night,
00:05:03.380 and he sent an email today saying that he actually had won.
00:05:06.800 The media said he won the debate
00:05:08.000 because he was out selling membership.
00:05:10.020 What have you made of Patrick Brown's performance so far?
00:05:12.780 Yeah, you're right.
00:05:13.200 It was four years ago,
00:05:13.880 and actually he didn't attend that debate either
00:05:15.740 because he had dropped out as a candidate.
00:05:17.160 Remember when he re-entered to run?
00:05:18.800 Yeah, I do.
00:05:19.160 So it was, I think,
00:05:19.860 the morning or the night before of that other debate.
00:05:21.600 But anyhow, look,
00:05:23.360 I think knowing his politics,
00:05:26.120 especially with respect to the carbon tax,
00:05:27.780 probably wasn't his crowd here,
00:05:29.320 so I don't think he made the wrong decision.
00:05:33.320 However,
00:05:34.180 if you're running for the leadership of the Conservative Party,
00:05:37.240 you're going to have to face the music at some point.
00:05:39.420 And, you know, anyhow.
00:05:41.580 But he's not wrong also knowing that at the end of the day,
00:05:44.560 the people who are voting are the members,
00:05:46.060 so hustling to sell membership is a good thing.
00:05:48.860 But it was a very intense debate.
00:05:50.620 I was pleasantly surprised.
00:05:51.700 It was a lot more fiery than I had thought it would be.
00:05:54.340 Well, yeah, for sure.
00:05:55.000 It sure was.
00:05:55.660 I've got to ask you too.
00:05:56.740 Roe v. Wade in the U.S.
00:05:58.040 There's rumors that it may be overturned.
00:06:00.760 Now, I was not familiar with it.
00:06:02.140 Well, not even rumors.
00:06:02.780 It was a draft.
00:06:03.280 Yeah, they leaked the draft.
00:06:04.220 American politics always tends to infiltrate Canadian politics
00:06:11.060 where we've seen this Americanization.
00:06:12.560 So, of course, this issue is not being infiltrated.
00:06:14.520 Do you think this is an opportunity for maybe the pro-life movement in Canada
00:06:18.780 to capitalize on that and say,
00:06:20.240 well, if they're having this debate again,
00:06:21.820 maybe we can have this debate too?
00:06:23.420 Well, I don't think we should ever not have the debate.
00:06:25.500 I think a sign of a healthy democracy
00:06:28.880 is the ability to discuss issues that are top of mind of Canadians.
00:06:32.800 The abortion issue comes up almost every election.
00:06:36.420 So, clearly, Canadians want to discuss it.
00:06:38.440 It is out there.
00:06:39.960 Yes, I think Canadian politics is in some regard downstream of American politics.
00:06:44.880 So, I do think, yeah, I think it's already going to,
00:06:46.980 we're going to see that, you know, with the,
00:06:49.120 it looks like it will be overturned if this draft decision stands,
00:06:52.400 that it will be overturned.
00:06:53.440 And I think that we will see more discussion about that in Canada.
00:06:55.800 However, you know, I always like to explain to our fellow citizens,
00:07:00.720 we don't have a law on abortion in Canada.
00:07:02.340 There's nothing to be overturned.
00:07:03.880 We have actually an absence of law.
00:07:05.660 So, there's been a lot of discussion saying
00:07:07.400 that we should bring in a law on abortion in Canada.
00:07:09.520 But as it stands right now, it's more or less a free-for-all.
00:07:12.440 Right, you're right.
00:07:12.860 And a lot of liberal countries in Europe have abortion laws.
00:07:15.920 And they have certain, you know, limits on weeks.
00:07:18.960 Yeah, term limits, time limits, gestational laws, if you will.
00:07:23.100 And closing off, is there anything you want to maybe add
00:07:25.320 to our True North audience?
00:07:27.320 Well, it was great having the True North here.
00:07:29.400 I saw you interviewing many very good people.
00:07:32.020 Of course, the more conservative-friendly media, the better.
00:07:35.220 So, I think many of us conservatives were happy to see that.
00:07:37.660 So, it's always a pleasure.
00:07:38.960 Thank you very much, Tanya.
00:07:39.880 Thank you.
00:07:40.260 Thank you.