A Saskatchewan MLA accused Premier Scott Moe of putting a "target" on his children’s backs following the premier’s controversial comments regarding transgender students and school facilities.
Opposition NDP member Jared Clarke told the legislative assembly this week that his transgender daughters were targeted in an election campaign promise about school change rooms. Clarke said his daughters were subjects of a complaint for using a girls’ change room at a southeast Saskatchewan school.
Clarke made the statement during a legislative session, saying, "The premier put a target on the backs of my two 12-year-old kids."
Clarke’s comments were in reference to a complaint made public on Oct. 16, which was later followed by a photo of his family being shared on social media, linking them to the article. The next day, at a campaign event in Regina, Moe was asked about the complaint and announced a proposal to ban “biological boys” from using girls’ change rooms in schools if his Saskatchewan Party won the Oct. 28 election.
While Moe framed the proposal as a priority for his government, it was not included in the party’s official campaign platform.
"He held a press conference to stoke fear and outrage about two kids at an elementary school, while my children’s picture was circulating on social media, identifying them, while unimaginable hate was raging down on my family," Clarke said to the assembly.
“The premier owes my children an apology. He owes all transgender people in this province, especially kids, an apology for how he has made them feel so unsafe over the last year.”
In response, Moe’s office issued an emailed statement clarifying that neither the premier nor former Education Minister Jeremy Cockrill ever identified the children.