Trudeau blasts N.B. premier over gender-identity policy, abortion access

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took aim at New Brunswick’s controversial gender-identity policy on Thursday, accusing Premier Blame Higgs of putting politics before the interests of vulnerable schoolchildren.

During a visit to Caraquet, Trudeau was asked about a provincial policy that now requires parental consent before school staff can use certain students’ chosen names and pronouns.

“I trust parents, I trust schools,” Trudeau said. “And I don’t think we should be trying to score political points off of kids who are incredibly vulnerable, who shouldn’t be targeted by political parties wanting to get elected or to get re-elected.”

The revised Policy 713 has stirred up anger among students, teachers and parents on all sides of the issue and pitted some school districts against the government. It’s currently being challenged in court.

Trudeau said his concern is that “we’re not further vulnerablizing our most vulnerable kids.”

He also said he stands against the Higgs government “for not respecting women’s rights to choose.”

In January, a medical clinic in Fredericton called Clinic 554 closed because the province wouldn’t allow abortion services to be covered by Medicare.

Surgical abortions are now only paid for by Medicare at the two hospitals in Moncton and at Chaleur Hospital in Bathurst. No other hospital in New Brunswick offers the service.

WATCH | ‘We’re seeing what happened in the United States’ :

Justin Trudeau had strong words for Higgs government during Caraquet stop

The prime minister made comments about Policy 713, women’s right to choose, while in the province to announce the national school food program.

“The shutting down of health and reproductive services offered by Clinic 554, the unwillingness to engage in allowing women to actually choose what happens to their future and their bodies is a disgrace,” Trudeau said.

He went on to compare the fight for abortion access with what’s happening in the United States, which saw Roe vs. Wade, a Supreme Court opinion that protected abortion access, overturned in January.

“So we know it’s not that Roe vs. Wade couldn’t happen in Canada, it’s that it’s more likely to happen in Canada, particularly with Conservative leaders who continue to not stand up for women’s rights.”

Ottawa’s new national pharmacare plan will cover prescription contraceptives, which Trudeau touted in his remarks about abortion access in New Brunswick.

“Because it’s not right that women have to pay upfront to be able to have the choice to start a family or not, that’s why IUDs, the pill, all those things will be available for free to women as we move forward on pharmacare for prescription contraceptives.”

CBC is asking the Premier’s Office for comment.

But Higgs has previously defended his revision of Policy 713 as a way to protect parental rights to know what is going on with their children at school.

As for abortion access outside a hospital “a slippy slope” toward allowing more services in private clinics, and having just three hospitals offering the procedure is “certainly providing the access that’s required.”

PM disagrees with N.B. Liberal leader on carbon tax

Trudeau did not answer when asked if he would join Liberal Leader Susan Holt during the campaign leading up to the provincial election, scheduled for October.

In March, Holt called for putting off the carbon tax for one year because New Brunswickers were struggling enough with rising costs.

Trudeau rejected this, saying Thursday that the price on pollution helps Canadians. 

“At a time when Canadians right across the country, including here in New Brunswick, are challenged with a high cost of living, is not the time to take money out of their pockets,” Trudeau said, adding that eight out of 10 families in Canada actually make money under the plan.

“The reality is, more money in families’ pockets while we fight climate change is something that everyone needs to be getting behind, and indeed fighting for, and that’s what I’m going to continue to do.” 

Trudeau’s comments on Higgs and Holt were made during a stop in northeast New Brunswick to discuss the National School Food Program, which was announced in early April. 

The goal of the $1 billion program is to deliver meals to 400,000 students annually by the 2024-2025 school year.

“I know that making sure kids are well-fed is a priority across the country and right here in New Brunswick,” Trudeau said.

“Because we know that when kids eat well, they do better in school. When they do better in school, they do better in life, and that’s what we need for everyone in this country.”