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Opinion

New Brunswick premier bans ‘sex-ed’ group from schools after presentation on porn, immoral sex acts

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New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs

From LifeSiteNews

By Jonathon Van Maren

Sharing slides of a presentation given by a third-party group to New Brunswick school children that contained questions about pornography, masturbation and ‘anal’ sex, Premier Blaine Higgs said he is ‘furious’ and that the group has been banned, ‘effective immediately.’

Once again, New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs is showing Canadian politicians how to effectively advocate for common sense socially conservative policies. On May 24, he tweeted out a photograph of a slide from a sex education presentation given in a New Brunswick school. The slide featured red lips closing on a lollipop, the title “Thirsty For The Talk,” and the questions: “Is it normal to watch porn like people watch TV series?”; “Do girls masturbate?” and: “Is it good or bad to do anal?” 

Premier Higgs posted his response: 

A number of concerned parents have shared with me photos and screenshots of clearly inappropriate material that was presented recently in at least four New Brunswick high schools. 

To say I am furious would be a gross understatement. 

This presentation was not part of the New Brunswick curriculum and the content was not flagged for parents in advance. My office has been told by Department of Education officials that this was supposed to be a presentation on HPV.  

However, the group shared materials well beyond the scope of an HPV presentation. The fact that this was shared shows either improper vetting was done, the group misrepresented the content they would share … or both. 

This group will not be allowed to present again at New Brunswick schools, effective immediately. 

Our government will have further discussions about whether additional rules about third-party presentations need to be updated.  

Children should be protected, and parents should be respected. 

I want parents to know that we are with you. We will continue to make decisions based on the principle that parents need to be aware of what is happening at schools, so they can make informed parenting decisions. 

Do you think we need stronger rules about third-party presentations in our schools? I want to hear directly from you. Take our survey by clicking here: 

https://newbrunswickpc.ca/school 

Presentations like this – and indeed, presentations containing far more graphic material – are common in Canadian public schools. Plenty of schools actually feature in-house content that is substantially worse than this. But every time a debate about explicit, how-to sexual content in schools erupts, progressive activists and politicians dodge the issue by retreating to vagueness. Instead of defending the idea of an activist group like Planned Parenthood coming in to talk to students about why anal sex is just fine, they insist that this content is essential for “inclusion” and “tolerance” while scrupulously avoiding the specifics. Inevitably, most of the press coverage of the debate fails to include the specifics of what actually upset parents in the first place, and instead presents objectors as opposed to common sense progressive educational policies. 

When the explicit content in question is described, however, progressives are denied the opportunity to defend their policy of encouraging and introducing fringe sex acts to children in vague, friendly, liberal-sounding buzzwords. Last year, for example, Planned Parenthood got caught handing out graphic “ABC” sex cards to students as young as 14 that explained, for example, how they could engage in “yellow and brown showers” (urinating and defecating on their partners). Plenty of other dangerous and immoral sex acts are encouraged, with Planned Parenthood’s presentation stating that each sexual urge must be “affirmed” – the amorality, in short, was up front. 

But when the sex cards were covered in a handful of press outlets, parents were outraged the Saskatchewan government got involved. Planned Parenthood is now banned from presenting in Saskatchewan schools (although it was never explained why they were invited to do so in the first place). Planned Parenthood was reportedly confused by this decision, as they didn’t see the problem with the content they had distributed – but the only reason they were denied access to Canadian kids is because the graphic sexual information they were distributing was exposed publicly. 

Premier Blaine Higgs appears to have realized that to implement common sense policies, exposing what is actually being taught in public schools is the only way forward. Progressives cannot be allowed to hide behind buzzwords like “toleration” and “inclusion.” Politicians and activists – including the prime minister – who wish to defend this content should be made to defend specifics, and the only way to force them to do that is to show the public what the kids are being taught in schools.  

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Jonathon Van Maren is a public speaker, writer, and pro-life activist. His commentary has been translated into more than eight languages and published widely online as well as print newspapers such as the Jewish Independent, the National Post, the Hamilton Spectator and others. He has received an award for combating anti-Semitism in print from the Jewish organization B’nai Brith. His commentary has been featured on CTV Primetime, Global News, EWTN, and the CBC as well as dozens of radio stations and news outlets in Canada and the United States.

He speaks on a wide variety of cultural topics across North America at universities, high schools, churches, and other functions. Some of these topics include abortion, pornography, the Sexual Revolution, and euthanasia. Jonathon holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in history from Simon Fraser University, and is the communications director for the Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform.

Jonathon’s first book, The Culture War, was released in 2016.

International

California’s soaring electricity rates strain consumers, impact climate goals

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From The Center Square

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While the greenhouse gas reduction programs that raise electricity rates are part of California’s climate goals, the increased prices actually discourage individuals from switching away from using fossil fuels impacting California’s ambitious climate goals.

California has completed yet another year with some of the highest electricity rates in the country – almost double the national average. The state’s electricity rates have been increasing rapidly, outpacing inflation in recent years by approximately 47% from 2019 to 2023. This is due largely to the high rates charged by the state’s three large investor-owned utilities (IOUs).

According to a report published by the California Legislative Analyst Office, the factors driving rate increases are wildfire-related costs, greenhouse gas reduction mandates, and policies and differences in utility operational structures and services territories. Ratepayers bear the brunt of these costs with those who earn lower incomes and live in hotter areas of the state the most severely affected.

The report points out that while the greenhouse gas reduction programs that raise electricity rates are part of California’s climate goals, the increased prices actually discourage individuals from switching away from using fossil fuels impacting California’s ambitious climate goals.

These programs include the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS), which requires utilities to provide a percentage of retail electricity sales from renewable sources, raising costs for ratepayers. Additionally, SB 350 directs the CPUC to authorize ratepayer-funded energy efficiency programs to meet California’s goal of doubling energy efficiency savings by 2030.

“While many other states operate ratepayer-supported energy efficiency programs, on average, we estimate that Californians contribute a notably greater share of their rates to such programs than is typical across the country,” the report notes.

Electricity rates pay for numerous costs related to the construction, maintenance and operation of electricity systems including the generation, transmission and distribution components. However, these rates also pay for costs unrelated to servicing electricity.

“Most notably, the state and IOUs use revenue generated from electricity rates to support various state-mandated public purpose programs,” the report says. “These programs have goals such as increasing energy efficiency, expediting adoption of renewable energy sources, supporting the transition to zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs), and providing lower-income customers with financial assistance.”

The largest public purpose program is the California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE), which provides discounts for lower-income customers. However, the report notes that while CARE benefits certain customers, it shifts the costs onto other slightly higher-income customers and that the majority of Californians spend a larger portion of their income on electricity compared to other states.

 “According to data from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, California households in the lowest quintile of the income distribution typically spend about 6 percent of their before-tax incomes on electricity, compared to less than 1 percent for the highest-income quintile of households,” reads the report. “Notably, high electricity rates also can impose burdens on moderate-income earners, since they also pay a larger share of their household incomes toward electricity than their higher-income counterparts but typically are not able to qualify for bill assistance programs.”

Electricity bills also reflect other state and local tax charges including utility taxes that are used to support programs such as fire response and parks in addition to the state-assessed charge on electricity use that is put into the Energy Resources Programs Account (ERPA). This account is used to pay for energy programs and planning activities.

While many of the funds recovered through electricity rates are fixed costs for programs, these costs increased in 2022 following the repeal of a state law that limited fixed charges at $10, requiring the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to authorize fixed charges that vary by income. These come out to be around $24 per month for non-CARE customers and $6 per month for CARE customers.

Wildfire related costs have also been increasing. Before 2019, wildfire costs included in electricity rates charged by IOUs were negligible, but now it has grown between 7% and 13% of typical non-CARE customers. Reasons for this increase include California’s high wildfire risk and the state’s liability standard holding IOUs responsible for all costs associated with utility-caused wildfires.

“The magnitude of the damages and risks from utility-sparked wildfires have increased substantially in recent years,” reads the report. “Correspondingly, IOUs have spent unprecedented amounts in recent years on wildfire mitigation-related activities to try to reduce the likelihood of future utility-caused wildfires, with the associated costs often passed along to ratepayers. Furthermore, California IOUs and their ratepayers pay for insurance against future wildfires, including contributing to the California Wildfire Fund.”

According to the report, electricity use and rates for Claifornians are only expected to increase and the legislature will have to determine how to tackle the statewide climate goals while reducing the burden on ratepayers.

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Daily Caller

Pastor Lectures Trump and Vance On Trans People, Illegal Immigrants

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From the Daily Caller News Foundation

By Nicole Silverio

President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance visibly rolled their eyes as the Episcopal bishop of Washington, Mariann Budde, lectured them on being kind to transgender people and immigrants at Tuesday’s National Prayer Service.

Budde requested that the newly sworn-in president and vice president “have mercy” on gay, lesbian and transgender people as well as illegal immigrants who are allegedly “scared” by the new administration. The new leaders did not appear amused by her lecture, with Vance repeatedly shooting looks to his wife, Second Lady Usha Vance.

“In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy on the people in our country who are scared now,” Budde said. “There are gay, lesbian and transgender children in Democratic, Republican and independent families, some who fear for their lives. And the people who pick our crops and clean our office buildings, who labor in poultry farms and meat packing plants, who wash the dishes after we eat in restaurants, who work the night shifts in hospitals. They may not be citizens or have the proper documentation, but the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. They pay taxes and are good neighbors, they are faithful members of churches and our mosques, synagogues and temples.”

WATCH: 

Trump and Vance attended the National Prayer Service along with Usha, First Lady Melania Trump and their families at the Washington National Cathedral. The interfaith service was held to “offer prayers of thanksgiving for our democracy” at the beginning of the new administration, according to a statement from the National Cathedral.

Budde, a staunch critic of Trump since his first term, said during a phone call in 2020 that she was “outraged” by the president’s speech about the importance of law and order at St. John’s Episcopal Church after it was set ablaze by Black Lives Matter protesters. She further seethed at Trump for allegedly being given no notice that the area surrounding the church would be cleared with tear gas.

Trump signed a slew of executive orders Monday evening to terminate birthright citizenship for children born to illegal immigrants, declare a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border and to direct the federal government to only recognize two sexes, male and female.

An Axios/Ipsos poll from Sunday found that 66% of Americans support deporting immigrants who entered the U.S. illegally, an action that Trump had promised to enact throughout his campaign. The poll surveyed 1,025 adults between January 10 to 12 with a 3.2% margin of error.

A national poll by PPRI in June 2023 found that 65% of Americans believe there are only two genders. The poll surveyed 5,000 adults between March 9-23 with a 1.5% margin of error.

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