Yesterday, Public Eye reported controversial school board trustee Mary Polak was considering running in Surrey-Panorama Ridge for the provincial Liberals. Some of those Liberals are concerned Ms. Polak's candidacy could paint the party with a socially conservative brush. After all, they say, Ms. Polak was part of an effort to keep children's books about same-sex relationships out of kindergarten and Grade 1 classrooms. But Ms. Polak wrote in today to say those concerns are unwarranted. In her email she notes it's "absolutely true that I endorsed Belinda Stronach. Interesting, given that I'm supposed to be such a radical social conservative? :-)" The following is an edited copy of her email.

-----Original Message-----
From: Mary Polak
Sent: Thu 8/5/2004 12:48 PM
Subject: Comment on Public Eye magazine

Hi Sean,

Well, it's a fairly good article, but I need to correct a couple of things.

1. The Supreme Court of Canada remanded the decision on the books back to the board with specific criteria including sensitivity to the cultural and religious concerns of parents (consider paragraph 66 of the decision). The Board again declined approval. The Board then approved two books dealing with same-sex families that are of much higher quality and are much more appropriate in kindergarten or Grade 1 classrooms. The central point of departure for the court was the issue of what was intended by the curriculum (remember, the Ministry of Education had approved NO materials dealing with same sex relationships for primary grades). The court determined that the curriculum intended that all lawful family models be included.

2. Also, the motion you describe requiring board approval of books...ALL books to be used to support the currirulum are required by Ministry Regulation to be approved by the Ministry of Education (library books which may be used in the classroom are another matter). Failing that, someone seeking approval can approach a local Board. When the NDP established the Personal Planning and Career and Personal Planning K-12 curriculum in 1995, there was a requirement that Boards develop a local approval process for sensitive resources. In 1997, a committee of parents and stakeholders was completing development of that process. The interim approval process was for resources to be brought to the Board. The motion you refer to was a motion to inform school staffs that a list of books being circulated by the Gay and Lesbian Educators of British Columbia was NOT an approved list (they had distributed a list of "recommended learning resources" directly to schools which contravenes Ministry and District regulations). This motion was struck down for being "impermissibly vague!" (which is a tag that would sink many a government action around the country). :-)

3. Re: my federal attempt, I was going to seek the Conservative nomination in the riding of Fleetwood-Port Kells until Nina Grewal (Gurmant's wife) and Gurmant Grewal both filed nomination papers in both ridings. It was quickly apparent that the "fix" was in, so to speak, and so I withdrew my nomination papers rather than lend credibility to that process.

4. Absolutely true that I endorsed Belinda Stronach. Interesting, given that I'm supposed to be such a radical social conservative? :-)