Education Minister Gordon Dirks avoids questions on Bill 10

Education Minister Gordon Dirks ran from reporters Thursday as they questioned him about where he stands on a controversial bill about student gay-straight alliances.

Dirks voted in favour of Bill 10 and his party’s subsequent amendment but did not make any statements during debates in the legislative assembly. He last took questions from reporters at a news conference on Monday.

“You’re just going to have to wait to see how things unfold during the rest of the afternoon,” Dirks said as he ran into the legislative assembly. 

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Dirks finally spoke on the issue in question period Thursday after NDP MLA Brian Mason accused him of supporting legislation that allows school boards to discriminate against LGBTQ students.

“I have no intention, no desire to discriminate against anybody. Nobody on this side of this house wants to do that,” Dirks said. “For any student who comes to Alberta schools they’re going to be assured that they have a quality, safe learning environment.”

The province’s Progressive Conservative party introduced the legislation on Monday, which effectively killed a private member’s bill to make GSAs mandatory in schools where students want them.

Liberal MLA Laurie Blakeman said that pressure from Catholic school boards compelled the Tories to jettison her bill.

The proposed Tory legislation would have given students the option of appealing to the Court of Queen’s Bench if the school refused permission for a GSA.

Public outrage compelled the government to pass an amendment that sends students to the education minister instead.

Opposition members believe the amendment makes matter worse by forcing the GSAs off school grounds if the boards object to them.

Liberal Leader Raj Sherman is urging young people to write letters to Dirks and their school boards.

“The PCs have made Albertans look like a bunch of donkeys, frankly, on a national stage, and it's disgraceful that the government  of such a great province would do this to the people of this province,” he said.

Premier Jim Prentice has been away from the Alberta legislature as the Bill 10 issue raged all week.

Earlier in the day, Prentice deferred questions about Bill 10 during a media availability with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie in Calgary on Thursday.

“Pleased to deal with that later. But I think at this point, as a courtesy to our guest, I will be speaking to that later today,” he said.