Recall campaign launched to oust B.C. education minister over SOGI

A recall petition targeting B.C. Minister of Education Rachna Singh has been approved by Elections B.C., clearing the way for organizers to start collecting signatures starting Nov. 30, 2023 through to Jan. 29, 2024.

Singh is the NDP MLA for Surrey-Green Timbers.

In a statement, petition proponent and anti-SOGI supporter Gurdeep Jassal said the reason behind the recall effort is that children are being indoctrinated in B.C. public schools. Jassal was not available for an interview.

SOGI stands for Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity. SOGI 123 is a resource endorsed by the provincial education ministry.

According to recall legislation, the petition needs signatures from more than 40 per cent of eligible voters in the riding to be successful. For Surrey-Green Timbers, the threshold for success is 11,811 signatures. 

If Singh is removed from the seat by recall, a by-election would be called within 90 days, in which she would be eligible to run.

The financial agent and spokesman for the recall effort told CBC that groups protesting SOGI have been ignored. He said the campaign to oust Singh is a "last resort." 

"SOGI-123 ... [is] on the surface there to keep everyone inclusive and safe. But we believe it's a Trojan Horse. Its real agenda is to indoctrinate straight children, to put ideas in their mind that they may not be male or female, they might be somewhere in the middle," said Amrit Birring.

"It's a systematic training they give in school to convince people, manipulate them, use their innocence and trusting nature at a very early stage in elementary school. And the effects are visible," he said. 

CBC requested an interview with Singh but she was not available. 

On social media Singh posted: "At a time when baseless attacks on SOGI are seeking to divide our communities, our support is unwavering."

Birring said teams of canvassers will be going door to door in the riding to gather signatures starting Nov. 30. The petition campaign will also be using social media, news agencies, local community radio stations and billboards to spread the word, he said.

The recall campaign has an expense limit of $31,633.94, according to Elections B.C. Birring said funds are being raised through donations. 

This is the 30th recall petition application brought forward in B.C. since the Recall and Initiative Act came into force in 1995.

Only six have ever been returned to Elections B.C. for verification. Five of those did not have the required number of valid signatures. The sixth was halted during the verification process when Parksville-Qualicum MLA Paul Reitsma resigned.