NDP touts 15,000 petition signatures

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This article was published 03/06/2021 (1928 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Manitoba NDP claims that, as of Tuesday, at least 15,000 people have already signed their new petition that stands in opposition to Bill 64, the Education Modernization Act.

An NDP spokesperson told the Sun on Wednesday that this petition was first launched on May 27 in response to recent comments that Education Minister Cliff Cullen made about the public opposition to Bill 64, which he characterized as a “vocal minority.”

“The level of engagement with this campaign is proof that the Manitobans fighting Bill 64 are a vocal majority,” NDP president Lonnie Patterson said in a Wednesday news release. “We have signs up in every constituency in Manitoba and in towns like Vita and Souris. Families want a better future for their kids and they trust us to make it happen.”

In response to this latest anti-Bill 64 campaign, Cullen told the Sun in an official statement that his government’s approach to education reform is being intentionally misrepresented by the NDP and groups like the Manitoba School Boards Association.

“We’re engaging Manitoba’s parents, teachers, educators, community leaders and experts who know that maintaining the status quo does not improve student outcomes and gets the right resources into classrooms,” the minister said.

“So while the NDP and their political friends focus on their political self interests, we’re working with Manitobans at www.BetterEducationMB.ca to build a more inclusive and even better education system that invests in our children’s success.”

Regardless of this pushback, the Manitoba NDP are still collecting signatures for their new anti-Bill 64 petition, titled “Prove Cullen Wrong,” through the website FightBill64.ca.

The site launched on April 17 in the hopes of providing a digital resource to people who want to organize around opposing the government’s plans for education reform.

This reform would largely be facilitated through Bill 64, where all of Manitoba’s school divisions — except the Division scolaire franco-manitobaine — would be dissolved and merged into 15 regional catchment areas.

These areas wouldn’t have any legislative authority, and would be governed by a single provincial education authority instead of individual school divisions.

When Cullen unveiled the finer details of Bill 64 on March 15, he said these changes are being proposed to help streamline Manitoba’s education system, which he says is being overwhelmed by administrative bloat.

However, this legislation has also drawn criticism from parents and educators who believe that power is being taken away from local voices in favour of a centralized authority that can’t properly represent their interests.

Besides the 15,000 signatures they’ve collected over the past week, NDP representatives also pointed out that even more concerned citizens have signed up to speak out on Bill 64 in front of the legislature this coming fall.

After Bill 64 receives second reading in October, standing committee hearings will run until the beginning of November, with around 300 people already registered to speak to the committee.

The NDP said in Wednesday’s release that they will be hosting virtual workshops and town halls throughout the summer and fall to properly prepare people for these hearings.

“The momentum we’re building with this campaign is incredible,” NDP Leader Wab Kinew said in this same release.

“Parents, grandparents and concerned citizens are participating in our town halls, ordering lawn signs and downloading our toolkit to learn more about the bill. Educators and school staff are turning to us with their concerns and together we’re building a better plan for our kids.”

» kdarbyson@brandonsun.com

» Twitter: @KyleDarbyson