Alberta Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides said it was beneath NDP deputy leader Rakhi Pancholi for saying Premier Danielle Smith does not care about children.

In response, Nicolaides called on Pancholi to retract and apologize for saying that.

“The premier and the entire United Conservative government care deeply about all Albertans and all children,” said Nicolaides in a Tuesday speech during Question Period in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.

“That’s precisely why we’ve brought such legislation forward — to make sure that parents are involved in these difficult and challenging moments in a child’s upbringing and educational journey.”

As he has mentioned before, the best results happen when parents, professionals, and teachers are working together.

Pancholi started off by saying Smith stood in the Alberta Legislature in 2014 and held back tears as she shared stories about children facing rejection and abuse because of policies forcing parental notification about the gay-straight alliance (GSA) they were in.

“Policies that outed kids, denied them their privacy, their dignity, and in some cases, their lives,” said Pancholi.

“Back then, she said ‘This really is a case of life or death for some of them.’”

Smith had said some of these children try to kill themselves. Some times, she said they succeed and die.

While Smith became emotional about GSAs, Pancholi asked why her political future is more important to her than transgender children’s lives.

However, Nicolaides called parental notification and consent as it relates to children changing names and pronouns “an important element that our government is moving forward with.”

“It’s important because we want to ensure parents are involved with these difficult conversations,” he said.

“We know that you get the best possible results for students and for children when you’re able to bring parents into the conversation, educators and other professionals that are able to work together.”

Of course, he said additional supports and counselling are available to students if they need them.

Since Nicolaides responded to Pancholi’s question, she said now people know transgender children “are not even worth a response from the premier.”

“Everyone wants to have kids safe, to have parents actively involved with their lives, and for schools to be places where they can grow with confidence,” she said.

“If James goes by Jamie or Alexandra prefers Alex, their lives shouldn’t be upended.”

Under the Alberta government’s gender identity policies, she predicted this will happen. Teachers will be forced by law to notify parents, parents will be forced into bureaucratic red tape, and children will be left feeling vulnerable, shamed, and scared.

Pancholi questioned why Smith is determined to undermine children’s safety and well-being. She called for her to say if the 4,200 votes in her leadership review were worth it.

After Nicolaides admonished Pancholi, she said Smith is welcomed to say why she has changed her mind on transgender children’s value.

“Affordability, healthcare, jobs, public safety — these are the issues Albertans need addressed,” she said.

Instead, she said Smith is focused on stoking fear by denying children gender transitions. She accused her of putting children at risk, violating their rights and their parents’ rights to pander to her base.

She asked when she will stop acting like the premier for the Alberta United Conservative Party and become one for all Albertans.

Nicolaides responded by saying Pancholi agrees with the Alberta government’s position because she said during the debate that young people’s brains are not finished developing until 25 years old.

“That’s precisely what the premier has mentioned as well, and it’s precisely why legislation like this has been brought forward,” he said.

He said the Alberta government does not want minors to make decisions with adverse effects and long-term consequences. Additionally, he said people should be adults when they make these decisions, allowing them to understand the consequences.

The three bills the Alberta government vowed to introduce about gender identity came out on Thursday.

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