A Progressive Conservative candidate in New Brunswick’s upcoming election is under fire Tuesday morning for a Facebook post she made on Truth and Reconciliation Day.
Sherry Wilson, a candidate for the new riding of Albert-Riverview, seemed to make a comparison between the effect the Canadian residential school system had on Indigenous families and parents not knowing details of their children’s gender identity.
In 2023, Premier Blaine Higgs’ government made changes to Policy 713 requiring students under the age of 16 to receive parental consent before they can change their pronouns or preferred first names at school.
Wilson wrote in her post that former Canadian governments tried to make the case that Indigenous parents were harmful to their children, and the children’s culture and lifestyle needed to be changed at government schools.
“This horrible tragedy is a stain on Canadian history, but it was only allowed to happen because children enrolled in school were isolated from their parents’ oversight, input and influence,” wrote Wilson.
“Parents are trusted partners, and the primary caregivers in guiding the values that shape their child’s identity,” she wrote. “We must never put our teachers in the position where they have to hide important parts of a child’s development from their own parents!”
Wilson went on to say that government of today cannot repeat the tragic mistakes that destroyed thousands of Indigenous families.
“Therefore, I am committed to keeping the parents of minor children aware of, and involved in, their children’s development while they are entrusted to our government schools,” said Wilson.
A statement by Sherry Wilson, a New Brunswick candidate for the new riding of Albert-Riverview, that was posted on social media is pictured.
Green MLA Megan Mitton called out Wilson in a post on X, formerly Twitter, Tuesday morning before speaking to CTV News.
“It is very upsetting and completely abhorrent and indefensible for her to put that out there I think any day of the year, but especially September 30. To make that comparison is really terrible,” said Mitton.
Wilson’s post was taken down at some point late Monday or early Tuesday morning.
Mitton said it was hard to find the right words to describe how she felt about Wilson’s post because it was such an “offensive” comparison to make.
“I wonder if it goes beyond tone deaf,” said Mitton. “I don’t know who wrote it, whether it was Sherry herself, but she signed her name to it.”
Mitton believes an official apology is necessary even though the post has been removed from social media.
The MLA for Memramcook-Tantramar was asked if she felt Wilson should be removed from the race by Premier Higgs’ government.
“I can tell you that someone who was saying such misleading and just fundamentally wrong and offensive things like that wouldn’t be running with the Green Party,” said Mitton. “We’re talking about someone who still is a minister. We need to expect better from ministers and from people who are in government.”
Mitton is calling on Wilson to apologize to Indigenous communities throughout New Brunswick and across Canada.
Wilson is currently the MLA for Moncton Southwest and is the minister responsible for Women’s Equality and the minister responsible for Addictions and Mental Health Services.
CTV News has reached out to Wilson’s campaign office, the Progressive Conservatives and the Liberals for comment.
More to come….
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