Trudeau blasts N.B. premier over gender-identity policy, abortion access
CBC
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took aim at New Brunswick's controversial gender-identity policy on Thursday, accusing Premier Blame Higgs of putting politics before the interests of vulnerable schoolchildren.
During a visit to Caraquet, Trudeau was asked about a provincial policy that now requires parental consent before school staff can use certain students' chosen names and pronouns.
"I trust parents, I trust schools," Trudeau said. "And I don't think we should be trying to score political points off of kids who are incredibly vulnerable, who shouldn't be targeted by political parties wanting to get elected or to get re-elected."
The revised Policy 713 has stirred up anger among students, teachers and parents on all sides of the issue and pitted some school districts against the government. It's currently being challenged in court.
Trudeau said his concern is that "we're not further vulnerablizing our most vulnerable kids."
He also said he stands against the Higgs government "for not respecting women's rights to choose."
In January, a medical clinic in Fredericton called Clinic 554 closed because the province wouldn't allow abortion services to be covered by Medicare.
Surgical abortions are now only paid for by Medicare at the two hospitals in Moncton and at Chaleur Hospital in Bathurst. No other hospital in New Brunswick offers the service.
"The shutting down of health and reproductive services offered by Clinic 554, the unwillingness to engage in allowing women to actually choose what happens to their future and their bodies is a disgrace," Trudeau said.
He went on to compare the fight for abortion access with what's happening in the United States, which saw Roe vs. Wade, a Supreme Court opinion that protected abortion access, overturned in January.
"So we know it's not that Roe vs. Wade couldn't happen in Canada, it's that it's more likely to happen in Canada, particularly with Conservative leaders who continue to not stand up for women's rights."
Ottawa's new national pharmacare plan will cover prescription contraceptives, which Trudeau touted in his remarks about abortion access in New Brunswick.
"Because it's not right that women have to pay upfront to be able to have the choice to start a family or not, that's why IUDs, the pill, all those things will be available for free to women as we move forward on pharmacare for prescription contraceptives."
CBC is asking the Premier's Office for comment.
This story was first published on Oct. 20, 2025.
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