Pierre Poilievre opposes 'puberty inhibitors'
(Ottawa) Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said Wednesday that he is against the use of "puberty inhibitors" in children.
Justin Trudeau immediately went on the attack, saying the Conservative leader wanted the government to take away the rights of parents and children. The Prime Minister also added that transgender children are much more likely to attempt suicide, and that governments should not propose to take away these treatment options.
Trudeau took aim not only at the Conservative leader, but also at Alberta Conservative Premier Danielle Smith, who last week announced her government's intention to ban puberty inhibitors and hormone therapy for transgender
children 15 and under who have not yet started treatment.
"For Mr. Poilievre to support this kind of interference with the rights of parents and the rights of children, to make good choices for them with the medical community, demonstrates their ideological aggressiveness," Trudeau said in response to reporters. "Our government will always be there to defend the rights" of parents and youth, he said.
Hormone inhibitors, or "puberty blockers," are used to prevent the body from producing the sex hormones that influence the development of the male or female body.
The Alberta Medical Association has expressed concernabout Smith's proposals, saying transgender and gender-diverse youth who don't have access to such treatments face an increased risk of depression and suicide.
Smith is also proposing to require parental consent for children 15 and under to have a different name or pronoun at school. Teens between the ages of 16 and 17 could make such changes without permission, but schools should notify their parents or guardians.
The proposals have sparked protests in Alberta and Ottawa, and drawn condemnation from Liberal politicians, including the prime minister, who accusesSmith of pushing an anti-LGBTQ+ agenda.
Smith's announcement last week also prompted reporters to ask Poilievre about his stance on gender-affirming medical treatments for youth.
When asked specifically Wednesday morning if he opposed the use of puberty inhibitors in young people
of all genders under the age of 18, he said "yes."
"We should protect children and their ability to make adult decisions when they are adults," the Conservative leader said.
Parents' rightsIn this case, Mr. Poilievre has been repeating for several months that he supports the right of parents to raise their children as they see fit. He also urged Prime Minister Trudeau not to interfere in provincial decisions regarding schools and hospitals.
On Tuesday, he accused the prime minister of attacking families "who are trying to protect their children.
" He said Trudeau "will eventually back down on this."
"I think we should protect the right of parents to make their own decisions about their children and I believe it should be up to adults to make all the decisions they want about their bodies."
Liberal cabinet minister Randy Boissonnault, an openly gay MP who represents a riding in Edmonton, Alta., stopped by reporters before the party's weekly caucus meeting Wednesday morning in Ottawa to mock Poilievre's stance.
Mr. Boissonnault argued that the decision to use puberty inhibitors should be based on a conversation between a young person and his or her doctor. "I don't see 'MD' after Pierre Poilievre or Danielle Smith," he said. So, it's none of their business. »
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh had much the same reaction, saying health care decisions should involve a person and their doctor. Decisions "based on evidence, based on science, based on best practices and not on Pierre Poilievre's opinion," Singh said. "We see a Pierre Poilievre who spends time attacking vulnerable communities."
Since becoming leader, Poilievre has tried to focus the Conservatives' efforts on the cost of living and crime issues, which the party sees as winning messages among the electorate.
Some of his supporters, however, have urged him to go further in the debate on how schools deal with issues of gender diversity and sexual orientation among their students.
At last September's political convention in Quebec City, 70 per cent of activists passed a resolution calling on a future Conservative government to ban "medical or surgical procedures" for gender-diverse and transgender children.
Poilievre has never said whether he plans to include his activist base's proposal in a future Conservative election platform.
Justin Trudeau immediately went on the attack, saying the Conservative leader wanted the government to take away the rights of parents and children. The Prime Minister also added that transgender children are much more likely to attempt suicide, and that governments should not propose to take away these treatment options.
Trudeau took aim not only at the Conservative leader, but also at Alberta Conservative Premier Danielle Smith, who last week announced her government's intention to ban puberty inhibitors and hormone therapy for transgender
children 15 and under who have not yet started treatment.
"For Mr. Poilievre to support this kind of interference with the rights of parents and the rights of children, to make good choices for them with the medical community, demonstrates their ideological aggressiveness," Trudeau said in response to reporters. "Our government will always be there to defend the rights" of parents and youth, he said.
Hormone inhibitors, or "puberty blockers," are used to prevent the body from producing the sex hormones that influence the development of the male or female body.
The Alberta Medical Association has expressed concernabout Smith's proposals, saying transgender and gender-diverse youth who don't have access to such treatments face an increased risk of depression and suicide.
Smith is also proposing to require parental consent for children 15 and under to have a different name or pronoun at school. Teens between the ages of 16 and 17 could make such changes without permission, but schools should notify their parents or guardians.
The proposals have sparked protests in Alberta and Ottawa, and drawn condemnation from Liberal politicians, including the prime minister, who accusesSmith of pushing an anti-LGBTQ+ agenda.
Smith's announcement last week also prompted reporters to ask Poilievre about his stance on gender-affirming medical treatments for youth.
When asked specifically Wednesday morning if he opposed the use of puberty inhibitors in young people
of all genders under the age of 18, he said "yes."
"We should protect children and their ability to make adult decisions when they are adults," the Conservative leader said.
Parents' rightsIn this case, Mr. Poilievre has been repeating for several months that he supports the right of parents to raise their children as they see fit. He also urged Prime Minister Trudeau not to interfere in provincial decisions regarding schools and hospitals.
On Tuesday, he accused the prime minister of attacking families "who are trying to protect their children.
" He said Trudeau "will eventually back down on this."
"I think we should protect the right of parents to make their own decisions about their children and I believe it should be up to adults to make all the decisions they want about their bodies."
Liberal cabinet minister Randy Boissonnault, an openly gay MP who represents a riding in Edmonton, Alta., stopped by reporters before the party's weekly caucus meeting Wednesday morning in Ottawa to mock Poilievre's stance.
Mr. Boissonnault argued that the decision to use puberty inhibitors should be based on a conversation between a young person and his or her doctor. "I don't see 'MD' after Pierre Poilievre or Danielle Smith," he said. So, it's none of their business. »
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh had much the same reaction, saying health care decisions should involve a person and their doctor. Decisions "based on evidence, based on science, based on best practices and not on Pierre Poilievre's opinion," Singh said. "We see a Pierre Poilievre who spends time attacking vulnerable communities."
Since becoming leader, Poilievre has tried to focus the Conservatives' efforts on the cost of living and crime issues, which the party sees as winning messages among the electorate.
Some of his supporters, however, have urged him to go further in the debate on how schools deal with issues of gender diversity and sexual orientation among their students.
At last September's political convention in Quebec City, 70 per cent of activists passed a resolution calling on a future Conservative government to ban "medical or surgical procedures" for gender-diverse and transgender children.
Poilievre has never said whether he plans to include his activist base's proposal in a future Conservative election platform.
