Danielle Smith's latest announcement declared that gender-related surgeries for those under the age of 18 are unacceptable. However, in the same breath, she also revealed that some types of gender transitions for minors are okay if they are for the purpose of "gender reassignment or affirmation purposes."
The Alberta premier declared that 16 to 17 year olds are mature enough to take hormones should their parents agree. Of course, not only does this cast into doubt whether or not the premier actually believes gender transitions are harmful to young Albertans, it raises another question about the idea of "mature minors."
Mature minor is a progressive term that supposes that some children under the age of adulthood are actually mature enough to undergo certain medical procedures, vote, or engage in consensual sexual activity with an adult.
Mature minors have also been under consideration for Canada's Medical Assistance in Dying program.
Smith's position also ignores the reality that for children who were already in the process, or have completed gender reassignment, that their parents were likely in agreement with the child anyways. Therefore, allowing access to hormones to 16 and 17 year olds with parental permission offers little to no actual barriers in its application.
Another caveat that the premier announced was the continued pushing of gender ideology in schools, so long as the parent and the province agrees. Parents would have the option to opt-in or out, and any gender-related lesson plans put forth by an educator would need provincial approval.
Again, this lacks real-life logic due to the fact that these topics have clearly already been discussed in school, and that teachers aren't exactly supposed to go rogue in terms of what they get to teach children. Should an NDP or Liberal government take power once again, there will be no legislative changes required for a leftist-operated educational system to simply say yes to such teachings.
Yet another questionable portion of Smith's heralded remarks were those in regard to approaching surgeons who specialize in transgender surgeries. It is the premier's plan to seek out specialists and bring them to Alberta so that, as she claimed, Albertans do not have to travel to Quebec for their gender surgery.
For reasons unknown, Smith wants to bring the surgical act of sex changes to her own province. The same act that she apparently considers abhorrent for minors. Even if this were regarding a procedure as niche as face lifts or hair transplants, it would still be odd for a political leader to announce that she wants her province to be the one to be able to provide them.
Smith's views, as confusing as they may be, point towards two possibilities as a leader with a governing majority: either she hasn't really thought about the topic enough to have a concrete, sensible view of the issue, or she is desperate to find some sort of middle ground in fear of blowback from liberal voters and politicians.
If it is indeed the latter, it should be clear to any conservative politician that Liberals or rank-in-file NDP representatives do not share the same sense of comradery as the Conservative Party members.
Justin Trudeau does not care what Pierre Poilievre thinks when it comes to a massive list of banned firearms.
Jagmeet Singh does not care what Maxime Bernier's position is on mass migration.
At the same time, progressives in Alberta will not suddenly think that Premier Smith is being reasonable for finding common ground when she makes it okay for those who are already engaged in hormonal treatments to continue with their gender transition, which she has announced.
This is not how progressive ideologies are wielded nor seen by liberal politicians. The leftist ideology does not believe there is inherent value in conservative ideas.
To the opposition party in Alberta, the NDP, society suffers culturally, economically, and legislatively when leftism is not properly applied.
Any complaint or issue one may have with progressive leadership is not actually real, but rather indicative of a slight adjustment that must be made by the individual.
Once that individual properly complies, the utopian society that is within arm's reach will be realized. The country is just one socialized medical program away from perfection, they believe.
Still, there is merit to Smith's movement of the needle and Overton Window. She has managed to do, albeit in-part, what no Conservative politician in Canada has done before her. That is, make any sort of headway on any of the major issues.
In terms of any of Canada's low-key extreme policies on immigration, abortion, gun rights, and of course gender ideology/education, Smith is the only one so far who has made a dent, and that deserves applause.
However, she should still be held to a higher standard; and that standard is actual conservatism, and not governing by fear of Twitter replies.
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