SCOTT WANTS PREMIER TO TAKE A STAND ON WOMEN’S RIGHT TO EDUCATION ON INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

QUEEN’S PARK – Today in Question Period, Ontario PC Critic for Women’s Issues, Laurie Scott, MPP, challenged Premier Kathleen Wynne on why she was unaware that the Liberal Cabinet authorized two publicly-funded Ontario colleges to create male-only campuses in Saudi Arabia.

“You would think that a Premier who promised to be a force for good would fight for gender parity, instead she never bothered to ask why Cabinet would consider a plan that did not educate women and men in the same classroom,” said Scott.

Scott said International Women’s Day, celebrated around the world today, is a time when people can reflect on the progress made toward gender parity and speak up against gender inequality.

“Because of a sheer lack of accountability, the government allowed a practice that shames our province and our values of equality and freedom,” said Scott. “Why did the Premier allow such discrimination to happen right under her nose?”

Scott was disappointed that on this special day of commemoration for women’s rights, the Premier did not answer Scott’s question, and instead redirected it to the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities. Scott said that the government should be firm in its commitment to help increase women’s access to education.

“I want the Premier and the government to join our PC members in our commitment to ensuring that those college programs offer equal access to women and men, not reducing women to the dark ages by barring them from Ontario-funded classes,” concluded Scott.

For video link: https://youtu.be/k4yhwSTPyqM