Lawyers for Campaign Life Coalition have written to Canada Post to remind the constitution requires them to distribute flyers in favour of parental consent before a school changes a student's name and pronoun.Campaign Life Coalition launched a flyer campaign in New Brunswick promoting the importance of parental notification and consent when gender transitions are considered by minors at school. Pressure is being brought by politicians and media on Canada Post to stop mailing the flyers.In a press release, the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms said refusing to mail the flyers would infringe on Campaign Life Coalition’s right to freedom of expression.On August 17, 2020, the New Brunswick government created Policy 713, which prohibited teachers from informing parents that their child had adopted a new name or pronouns at school, unless the child consented to such disclosure.On June 8, 2023, the government changed the policy to require that parents of students under 16 years of age be notified by the school before the formal use of a different name or pronoun. “Formal” refers to the use of names and pronouns in the classroom and in school records.The change to Policy 713 brought a firestorm of criticism and media coverage because it was the first of its kind in Canada to support parental rights on this issue. New Brunswick Progressive Conservative Premier Blaine Higgs has stated parents in the province support him on this issue. A provincial election will be held on or before October 21.Campaign Life Coalition launched a flyer campaign in New Brunswick promoting the importance of parental notification and consent when gender transitions are considered by minors at school. The group has announced its intention to continue the campaign once the election is called. The sending of the letter to Canada Post is a proactive move to defend the right to freedom of expression before an infringement occurs.In a Justice Centre press release, lawyer Hatim Kheir stated, “The mail is still an important method of communication and we are hopeful that Canada Post will continue to respect Campaign Life Coalition’s right to free expression in the face of external pressure and continue to mail the flyers."Jack Fonesca, Director of Political Operations for Campaign Life Coalition, said the action had implications far beyond his organization.“This is a dangerous precedent which threatens the very foundations of our democracy," Fonseca said."If Canada Post, a federal government agency, is allowed to deny us service because some workers disagree with our political or moral viewpoint, where might that lead? Should letter carriers who are offended by the policies of the New Brunswick Liberal Party be allowed to refuse to deliver its flyers?” he added.The front page of the 6" by 9" colour handout says, "Schools must not keep secrets from parents" and explains, "Some New Brunswick teachers want to facilitate a student's sexual transition to the opposite sex without the knowledge or consent of parents." It also includes a link to a website: www.clife.ca/parentalconsentNB. The reverse side says "parental consent matters" because "Mom and dad know their children best, and love them the most," while "Activist teachers are not superior to parents."The reverse side also says, "When a child is experiencing gender confusion, parental guidance is critical," and adds "When schools respect parental consent, it ensures decisions are made in the best interests of the child, fostering a safe and nurturing environment.".The destination website on the flyer directs people to sign a petition to Higgs that reads, "I support your government's policy requiring schools to obtain parental consent before facilitating the gender transition of their underage children at school. I urge you to fight with all your government's resources against any lawsuit which seeks to overtone your parental consent policy. I urge you also to resist any political pressure from the Susan Holt Liberals to abandon your parental consent policy.".
