UCP CURRICULUM REVIEW PANEL CONSISTS OF ONLY MEN, INCLUDES ANOTHER ONE OF KENNEY’S RACIST FRIENDS

EDMONTON -- The UCP’s recently appointed curriculum review panel consists only of men, and includes a former Jason Kenney political staffer that has published racist and anti-Indigenous materials.

The UCP appointed Chris Champion to advise on social studies for the K-12 Curriculum. In addition to being a long time staffer and advisor to Jason Kenney was the editor of a publication that published a letter that questioned the experience of the survivor of Canadian residential schools, which was the position adopted by Kenney’s racist speechwriter Paul Bunner.

“Women make up the majority of the teaching profession, but Jason Kenney and Adriana LaGrange chose to not put a single woman on their panel and they managed to find room for a racist who used to work for the Premier,” said Janis Irwin, Official Opposition Critic for LGBTQ2S+ and Women’s Issues. “Their priorities couldn’t be clearer.”

Since Bunner’s racist, homophobic and transphobic writings were made public Jason Kenney and the entire UCP cabinet, caucus and staff have vigorously defended Bunner’s hate-filled and hurtful writings and his $150,000 a year job in the Premier’s Office. 

“Instead of firing his racist, homophobic speechwriter Paul Bunner, Jason Kenney has doubled down on these racist beliefs by including them in the curriculum and he’s undone all of the work done under previous governments,” said Irwin. 

The initial non-partisan curriculum review process engaged over 100,000 Albertans under the former PC and NDP governments and included input from parents, teachers, students, and academics. 

“By appointing a panel full of like-minded insiders, the UCP are dismissing the diverse input from Albertans that was vital in developing a modern curriculum in which kids see themselves represented,” said Irwin. “The UCP can’t even send our kids back to school safely this fall. They shouldn’t be trusted to rewrite the curriculum.”