REGINA - It may not have been an explosive provincial leaders鈥� debate Wednesday night, but it was a far different story on the campaign trail Thursday.
At a Sask Party campaign event in Christine Tell鈥檚 campaign office in Regina Wascana Plains, Scott Moe pledged that the first thing his re-elected government would do was issue a directive to ban biological males from female change rooms in schools.
鈥淭his would be in response to the allegations about a couple of biological males changing with biological girls in a change room,鈥� said Moe.
鈥淲hen it comes to change rooms, I would say this 鈥� the first order of business with a re-elected Saskatchewan party government would ensure that biological males are not changing in a biological female, or alongside biological females or in a female change room. That order will be sent by our Education minister, that would be the first order of business if we鈥檙e re-elected.鈥�
The directive would be sent out to school divisions, he said. As for why this wasn鈥檛 in his platform, Moe said 鈥渢his has come to light in the last day or two, we鈥檝e maybe heard some rumours or inklings from before."
"But if re-elected, this would be the first order of business. And this would be a response to what鈥檚 come to light in the last few days.鈥�
Moe added that he hoped the school divisions 鈥渕aybe would act and we wouldn鈥檛 be required to. Again these schools are operated by the school divisions鈥� we think many of them have policies in place already, but should they not, we will ensure there is a provincial policy in place.鈥�
When asked about concerns this went against human rights and the Charter, Moe responded 鈥渨hat about the rights of all the other girls that are changing in that very change room? They have rights as well.鈥�
That drew applause from the crowd at the campaign event.
When later asked what he meant by 'biological boys' or 'biological girls', Moe responded 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know how much more clear I could be,鈥� which also got applause.
When asked how many genders are there, Moe replied: 鈥淭wo. From a biological perspective there are two. To my knowledge. I may stand to be corrected on that, I鈥檓 not sure.鈥�
Reaction from the NDP, Sask United
New Democrat leader Carla Beck responded in a statement later on Thursday in which she blasted Moe.
鈥淚 want to be clear about exactly what鈥檚 happening right now 鈥� Scott Moe had a bad night in the debate last night. And now he鈥檚 desperate,鈥� said Beck.
"He鈥檚 weaponizing vulnerable kids in a desperate attempt to keep his job, stoking fear and division. It鈥檚 the lowest form of gutter politics. He鈥檚 doing this because he knows the people of Saskatchewan want change. He鈥檚 failed our kids. He鈥檚 failed parents. He鈥檚 failed Saskatchewan. Still, he will try anything to hold onto power. This is a time for us to come together, not a time for division and fear. We know that in Saskatchewan, hope beats fear. Every time. It鈥檚 time for change.鈥�
Saskatchewan United Party Leader Jon Hromek had a much more positive reaction to what Moe had to say:
鈥淚 am proud to see the Sask Party utilizing the female safe spaces policy from the Sask United Blueprint for Change. Unfortunately, the Sask Party government has long ignored basic common sense in education over the last 17 years. Gender ideologies were brought in under the Sask Party curriculum, which should be altogether removed. It is disappointing that it continues to take incidents like this for Scott Moe to correct these issues in his curriculum and his Ministry of Education. I find it ridiculous that a policy is not already in place to protect female washrooms, change rooms, and sports. Unlike Scott Moe I have been clear from day one, there are only two genders, and biological males should not be allowed in biological females' spaces.鈥�
Sask Party defections
While Moe was speaking in Regina Wascana Plains, Beck was at the legislature in Regina announcing that three former high-ranking Sask Party members were now supporting her party.
Those were Ian Hanna, former communications advisor to Premier Brad Wall who later worked with the Saskatchewan Teachers鈥� Federation, and former Sask Party 小蓝视频s Glen Hart and Mark Docherty.
In a statement, Hanna said: 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 leave the Saskatchewan Party, the Saskatchewan Party left me.鈥� Meanwhile Docherty, a former Speaker, said in a news release that the 鈥淪ask. Party has lost their way. They don't understand that you're here to serve 鈥� and that it鈥檚 not their money, it's the people's money.鈥�
The NDP鈥檚 news release also repeated a theme Beck had touched on during the debate that this was not about 鈥淭eam Orange or Team Green 鈥� it鈥檚 about Team Saskatchewan.鈥�
When asked about the Sask Party defections at his campaign event, Moe took the opportunity to blast the NDP platform.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e going to support a platform that has come forward supporting Justin Trudeau and his carbon tax, they鈥檝e come forward supporting a platform that has an $800 million in missing revenue that they pulled out of thin air, that not even a university economist can say where its come from鈥� a total of $3 billion missing in that platform. If that is what they choose to support, I think it would be disappointing to say the least. But you know in this province, we each have the opportunity to cast a vote, however we see fit.鈥�
More Sask Party promises in Moose Jaw
Following his appearance in Regina, Moe went to Moose Jaw, where he announced the Sask Party would double the Community Rink Affordability Grant and introduce a new School Playground Equipment Grant. The community rink grant would go up from $2,500 per ice surface to skating and curling rinks across Saskatchewan, to $5,000 per ice surface, beginning next year.
According to a Sask Party news release Moe has also committed to a School Playground Equipment Fund of $3.75 million annually, to fund 50 per cent of the cost of new school playground equipment to a maximum per playground project of $50,000.
The NDP responded with a news release saying their party would 鈥渇und playgrounds AND classrooms,鈥� pointing to their $2 billion education funding commitment.
