Juno News - October 26, 2024


Will Smith listen to UCP members and stand up for parental rights？


Episode Stats

Length

15 minutes

Words per Minute

139.51706

Word Count

2,184

Sentence Count

96


Summary


Transcript

00:00:00.000 Hello everyone and welcome to a special episode of the Alberta Roundup. If you're watching this
00:00:15.760 as it's being released, then I'm likely at TrueNorth's conference in Calgary and I hope
00:00:19.940 that my speech went well. Thanks everyone for the ideas provided in the top 10 worst
00:00:25.260 leftist ideas over the last few years. As for this week's episode, I had the chance to sit down
00:00:31.940 with Richard Durr and discuss the UCP's upcoming AGM in Red Deer on November 2nd. Richard Durr is
00:00:39.200 an award-winning politician consultant with extensive experience working on campaigns
00:00:43.800 across Canada. On top of his professional work, he is also the volunteer executive director of
00:00:49.700 Pro-Life Alberta, an organization dedicated to advancing pro-life public policy in the
00:00:55.040 province. You may have read one of his two recently published op-eds with TrueNorth where
00:01:00.080 he discussed Smith and her engagement with parental rights. In his op-eds, Richard discussed Smith's
00:01:06.700 selective approach to addressing parental rights, focusing on gender-related medical procedures,
00:01:12.780 which he argued didn't properly address broader parental rights, and opened her up to opposition
00:01:18.360 from the trans community, who say that her policies unfairly target trans kids.
00:01:25.040 Richard focused on the issue of abortion, which he claimed was the most glaring example of Smith's
00:01:30.880 inconsistency, because a minor can get an abortion without parental consent, but not a vaccine or a
00:01:37.200 routine dental procedure. In his op-eds, Richard Durr said, quote, the opportunity is there for Smith to
00:01:44.260 broaden her approach and address the full range of parental rights issues, including parental notification
00:01:50.080 for minors seeking abortions and other significant medical interventions. By doing so, her government
00:01:56.880 can align itself more closely with the values expressed by the party membership, and most Albertans
00:02:02.520 in fact, while simultaneously preventing even the perception that her policies unfairly target trans
00:02:09.060 youth. It's time for the government to go beyond largely symbolic gestures and deliver real change for
00:02:15.540 parents across the province. He added that, quote, in other areas of life, whether it's a tattoo, a body piercing,
00:02:22.940 or school staff administering Tylenol, parental consent is required. Yet, despite widespread public support for
00:02:31.380 requiring parental consent, minors in Alberta are currently able to obtain an abortion without it. Yet, if a parent's
00:02:39.280 permission is needed for something as benign as a school trip to the zoo, shouldn't it be required for
00:02:44.760 a life-altering decision like abortion? No child should face the burden of a life-or-death decision
00:02:51.120 alone. Richard and I spoke in further detail about not only key policies, but the upcoming AGM and his
00:02:58.980 expectations. You can listen to that interview now. All right, Richard. So, yeah, with the UCP's AGM coming up on
00:03:06.740 November 2nd, I'm just curious what your overall expectations are for the event, and if there are any key issues
00:03:14.860 you think will dominate discussions this year.
00:03:18.740 Well, I'm not so sure about key issues that might dominate the discussion. I'm sure that there will be emphasis and
00:03:25.120 likely great emphasis on the parental notification and gender policy surrounding
00:03:32.320 gender-related medical interventions. I'm sure that will play a large in throughout the conference.
00:03:43.640 And then as for Smith's leadership review, which has obviously been a focal point of the AGM,
00:03:49.440 I'm wondering if you have any insight into what her expectations might be. For example, former Premier
00:03:57.340 Jason Kenney, obviously, he surpassed the threshold with 51.4% approval, but subsequently resigned because he said
00:04:04.500 obviously 51.4% was way below his expectations. So, I'm wondering if you have any idea of what Smith's kind of,
00:04:13.120 I guess, expectations will be for what percentage she's kind of going to try and meet threshold-wise?
00:04:18.220 Well, I mean, historically, it's always been above 80% or around 80% has always been what's been preferred by
00:04:27.140 incumbent leaders. So, I would imagine that in her case, it's much the same, and we'll have to wait and see as to whether
00:04:33.120 she'll have stronger policy commitments in exchange for widespread support that might help ensure that she does receive
00:04:42.180 the vote of confidence from UCP members above that threshold.
00:04:49.260 Yeah, and do you think that's pretty likely that she'll get above that 80% number?
00:04:55.800 We'll have to wait and see. I mean, I think it's definitely a possibility. We'll have to wait and see.
00:05:00.960 She has shown herself to be, to her credit, someone who's open to listening. She's whip-smart. She's photogenic.
00:05:10.040 She has many of the qualities that embody solid leadership, and I think there's just an expectation
00:05:18.580 of follow-through that many UCP members have not seen and would like to see. So, I think it might
00:05:28.100 depend somewhat on that. We'll have to see how it goes with the convention overall. I mean, she is
00:05:40.040 for members, there's an upcoming, what would that be, a tele-town hall coming up on the 26th. So, I know that she
00:05:48.840 continues to reach out to party members in hopes of solidifying her support.
00:05:56.480 And do you think that Smith's approach to date regarding her strategy surrounding parental rights
00:06:06.480 and, as you mentioned in your two op-eds with us, focusing on gender-related medical procedures has
00:06:13.120 resonated with UCP members and even taking it a step further with the broader public?
00:06:18.480 I do indeed. I think it represents a good first step. I think that though by expanding parental
00:06:25.800 notification requirements to include all medical interventions, this would function as a sword and
00:06:33.320 a shield issue for her. It would be a sword in that the associated electoral risk that the NDP would be
00:06:40.640 forced to manage in having to stake out a position either in favor of what Smith is doing or in opposition
00:06:47.440 to it, which would suggest that they take on a position of government knows best, which I do not
00:06:52.360 think would be well received by the public at large. And it functions also as a shield issue in that it helps
00:07:00.520 to prevent or it shields against opponents who accuse Smith of unfairly targeting trans kids.
00:07:09.120 So I think if she expands parental notification requirements, as is already passed UCP policy, I think it's 206.5B, but you could
00:07:23.620 probably pull that up for your viewers. That requires parental consent for a whole range of serious, irreversible
00:07:32.440 elective procedures performed on minors. And I think that her expanding the criteria of medical interventions that
00:07:44.140 would require parental notification would be to her benefit. And like I said, function both as a sword and shield issue
00:07:52.460 for her.
00:07:53.360 Yeah, and you had mentioned the policy 206.5B in one of your op-eds. I think you said that members had
00:08:01.760 overwhelmingly voted yes on it at the previous AGM, but still, it's a slow process in seeing it come
00:08:09.060 forward. And obviously, these policies are non-binding. So I'm just looking for your overall thoughts.
00:08:15.300 Obviously, there have been 35 policy resolutions put forward by UCP members this year. So in the past,
00:08:23.340 what have you kind of seen from these non-binding policies? And how does it really
00:08:27.900 sway not only Smith, but the UCP party as a whole with the motions that they bring forward?
00:08:35.000 Well, as to how much it sways UCP, you know, the leadership in the UCP, so to speak, or elected MLAs,
00:08:42.240 that's always hard to see. I mean, it takes away one additional excuse for them not to do something,
00:08:47.160 if we can put it in those terms. And it does demonstrate then that there is support at least amongst
00:08:53.040 partisan members to pass a policy. And so I think that is important. On the other hand,
00:08:59.920 it also engages the grassroots in policy decisions that matter to them. But it does so in a way then
00:09:07.020 that doesn't bind elected representatives to adhere to or follow through or pass legislation
00:09:12.820 reflecting those policies passed. And in most cases, I would say that that's probably rather
00:09:21.640 unfortunate if you, you know, of course, support those policies. So in that sense, it's, I think
00:09:28.280 that it's important, though, that they, especially with the, again, emergence even in this AGM of
00:09:34.320 additional public policy proposals that ask for parental notification and parental involvement
00:09:44.400 in medical interventions that, you know, that should be a sign that there is a strong desire,
00:09:51.600 especially amongst UCP members, but it can also be found in Alberta, in the Alberta public at large,
00:09:58.800 for an expanding parental notification requirements to include all medical interventions performed on
00:10:07.000 minors.
00:10:09.760 And you kind of alluded to this already, but I'm just curious, how responsive do you think Smith has
00:10:15.740 been so far as a leader to the wants and needs of the party members? And I'm wondering whether you
00:10:22.000 think that with this leadership review upcoming, has that shifted her responsiveness in any way?
00:10:29.720 Well, she is responsive in terms like she listens, and I think that's to her credit. However, I would
00:10:34.600 like to see stronger policy commitments in addition to that listening, and that these commitments aren't
00:10:40.480 just something spoken in word, but that are legislatively enacted, so that it results then in real policy.
00:10:50.680 That's what is expected. That's what the membership expects of her, and that's not an unreasonable
00:10:57.060 expectation.
00:11:00.420 And I'm wondering, what do you think a best-case scenario looks like for Smith at this upcoming
00:11:06.600 AGM, and conversely, a worst-case scenario, aside from her, of course, getting ousted as
00:11:10.720 a leader with the review?
00:11:12.940 Well, I think there you pointed out the worst-case scenario. The best-case scenario, I think, is
00:11:17.920 that she, you know, from the perspective of the membership, and from my perspective, would
00:11:23.300 be that there's a stronger policy commitment for expanding parental notification requirements to
00:11:29.780 include all medical interventions performed on minors. I don't think that's an unreasonable
00:11:35.000 position to take whatsoever, and again, I believe that would function both as a shield and a sword issue
00:11:40.600 that would be politically beneficial for Smith and the UCP party to adopt, and that in her doing so,
00:11:48.340 she would, in exchange, get strong support from the membership to continue on as leader.
00:11:57.140 Yeah, Richard, is there anything else I haven't asked or covered that you'd like to say?
00:12:02.320 I think the UCP membership has clearly stated already in the past, by way of its public policy
00:12:10.540 pronouncements, that parents, not bureaucrats, should be responsible for making the terminations
00:12:17.140 when it involves serious, irreversible electric procedure to foreign-bound minors,
00:12:22.680 and it's my sincere hope that Smith and the UCP party leadership will honour those policy pronouncements
00:12:32.160 and enact that into legislation that I think would be accepted by the Alberta population at large.
00:12:40.780 And will I see you at the AGM, or are you attending?
00:12:43.780 Indeed, you will. I'm excited to be there, and it'll be nice to meet you in the flesh, Isaac.
00:12:48.540 Right on. I'll see you then, Richard. Thanks a lot for coming on the show today.
00:12:51.860 My pleasure. Thanks for having me.
00:12:53.660 Per the policy 206.5b that Richard discussed in his op-eds, and a bit more on the show, it reads,
00:13:00.620 quote,
00:13:00.920 During this year's AGM, policy resolutions No. 7 and No. 8 both directly touch on parental rights.
00:13:25.960 A few other policies address trans rights and biological sexes,
00:13:30.780 but Policy Resolution No. 7 calls on the government of Alberta to, quote,
00:13:35.520 Support a bill of parental rights which ensures that legislation will recognize, support, and,
00:13:41.720 one, acknowledge that a parent's prior right and responsibility to raise their children
00:13:46.500 precedes government legislation and does not flow from it.
00:13:50.380 Two, provide legislative clarity for the courts to uphold and enforce the existing defined
00:13:57.160 and legislated legal age limits of the province.
00:14:00.880 Three, protect parents who are providing the necessities for the child's health, education,
00:14:06.020 and welfare as they exercise their parental custody and authority and does not interfere
00:14:11.520 based on religious, social, or fiscal grounds.
00:14:14.200 Four, include remedial provisions for unjustified interference by government, organizations,
00:14:20.880 or individuals in order to limit overreach.
00:14:23.820 And five, affirm that the ultimate responsibility for a legally defined minor child's health,
00:14:29.060 education, and welfare lies with the parents or legal guardians by legislating to regulate
00:14:34.600 the practice of subjectively ascribing children, quote,
00:14:37.900 Mature minor status.
00:14:39.200 Policy number eight calls on the government of Alberta to, quote,
00:14:43.640 Support parental rights in education by implementing the following.
00:14:47.640 One, require teachers and school boards obtain often informed written consent from the parents
00:14:52.640 of a student to any instance when a teacher provides formal, informal, or incidental instruction
00:14:58.660 or extracurricular activities on subject matter involving sexuality, sexual orientation,
00:15:04.500 and gender identity.
00:15:05.480 At the parent's written request, the teacher of the student shall permit the student to
00:15:09.780 leave the classroom without academic penalty or other censor.
00:15:13.840 And two, require that all third-party resource materials or presentations related to gender,
00:15:19.100 identity, sexual orientation, or human sexuality available in Alberta classrooms be pre-approved
00:15:25.180 by the Ministry of Education.
00:15:27.080 That pretty much wraps up the show today.
00:15:29.020 I hope to see some of you at the upcoming AGM in Red Deer on November 2nd.
00:15:34.160 If you see me there, feel free to stop by and say hi.
00:15:37.200 Thank you, have a good week, and God bless.