I would echo.... First, the notwithstanding clause generally gives me concern, but if it is used, it should be used only with great consideration. In Saskatchewan, it was pre-emptively invoked to avoid a court's ability to limit the implementation of a policy that was found by a judge, I believe—and I'm not a lawyer—to potentially cause zero irreparable harm to children. If we're going to be responsible policy-makers and legislators, we should be responsible in our use rather than reactive, and it becomes dangerous if we allow that reactivity to take root because these are, under our charter, protected rights and freedoms.
To go off on what Bennett was speaking to, we want kids to have the freedom to be themselves, whether they want to wear a hijab or a cross, or whether they want to use a different set of pronouns. We absolutely value the role of parents in raising happy and healthy kids. What I would have loved to see in Alberta, Saskatchewan and New Brunswick was, actually, an announcement of more supports for parents, especially parents from newcomer or faith-based communities, where there might be different paces on these conversations. The fact that they didn't go that path or listen to the needs of those kids says a lot about their motivations, which were not in the best interest of their constituents but were unfortunate and cynical politics at play.
I want parents to be as involved in their kids' lives as possible, and there's a lot we could do in our education system on that front. What I take issue with is the creation of a false choice between the role of parents and the well-being or best interests of children. We can address both of these issues at the same time, but what that takes is engaging in good-faith conversations. It also takes recognizing that we have data that shows that 20% to 40% of homeless young people in this country are members of queer and trans communities, and so we need to be mindful of these issues. I want these kids stay in safe and supportive homes, but we need to empower teachers and schools to work with those families, and not to create a false choice that puts kids at further risk of harm.