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

Misogynist Sentences

1


Summary


Transcript

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.
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,
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.