Goertzen defends appearance on panel

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This article was published 11/06/2020 (2187 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Appearing on an online panel with others does not mean he shares all their views according to Steinbach MLA and Education Minister Kelvin Goertzen.

Goertzen was under fire by Manitoba Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont after taking part in the panel that included politicians such as Joachim Kuhs, a German member of the European Parliament for AfD, a far-right German nationalist party that is under investigation by the German government and has a history of Holocaust deniers and alleged links to neo-nazi activity.

Also taking part were Americans Betsy DeVos, Ted Cruz, and Patricia Rucker; Angela Vidal Gandra Da Silva Martins of Brazil, and Inga Yumasheva and Margarita Nikolaevna Pavlova of Russia.

In a Friday press release, Dougald Lamont said Goertzen should resign or be fired for his participation in the conference hosted by the Global Home Education Exchange.

“He’s on a panel with some very extreme political figures from the far right including a political party in Germany that has a history of Holocaust denial, being opposed to refugees, opposed to immigrants in really violent terms,” he said. “I cannot understand how someone like Kelvin Goertzen can possibly justify being in a panel like that.”

Lamont also criticized the inclusion of Brazil and Russia, describing them as “autocratic regimes that have attacked public institutions and defunded public education”.

“It’s beyond being on a panel,” Lamont told the Carillon. “Kelvin Goertzen was actually giving these people advice and they were taking it.”

Lamont said Goertzen simply lacks the judgement to continue in his role.

“If he stays in the party, if he stays in position, I think that’s effectively an endorsement of this behavior by the premier and I don’t think that’s acceptable,” he said.

 

Goertzen responds

Kelvin Goertzen said he’s attended many conferences over the 17 years he’s served and said this isn’t the first time others involved have differing views.

“You can’t expect that the different views of everybody on that meeting or these different meetings are going to be ascribed to everyone else,” he said. “If you only went to meetings where everybody agreed with you, well those are called party conventions and I don’t think you should just limit yourself to party conventions.”

Goertzen said the panel was virtual. He had eight minutes to speak, and only listened to two other speakers, Senator Ted Cruz and Dr. Joseph Murphy.

“I spoke for eight minutes about my views on home schooling, but also the general situation that’s going on in Manitoba when it comes to the pandemic,” he said.

Goertzen said politicians shouldn’t fear meeting with people of diverse opinions, and shouldn’t be assumed to share those opinions.

“If that becomes a standard than what will happen is politicians will never speak to any other organization or group,” he said.

Goertzen stressed that he does not support any individuals or groups that direct hate to others.

Lamont also criticized the content of Goertzen’s message, saying the education minister was advocating for more home schooling.

“I did advocate for the rights of home schoolers, that’s true, and I’ve done that in many different forums, in the same way that I advocate for the rights of those who are in independent schools, and really what I’m advocating for is the public schools act,” he said.

Goertzen said home schooling, independent schools and public schools are all part of the Manitoba Public Schools Act.

“Surely it can’t be that controversial that the minister of education is advocating for the upholding of the Public Schools Act,” he said. “Home schooling, independent schools and the public school systems are all part of our school system which have long been upheld by various ministers of various political stripes.”

“I think we can have a mature enough of a conversation to know that advocating for one right is not necessarily at the exclusion of other rights,” he added. “It’s kind of a false dichotomy.”