TORONTO — Ontario’s education minister accused Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau on Wednesday of trying to politicize the province’s labour negotiations with school support workers to score points ahead of the federal election.
Stephen Lecce made the comments hours after the Canadian Union of Public Employees, which represents 55,000 custodians, clerical workers and early childhood educators, announced its members were preparing to go on strike next week.
“I think we need people to put the interests of our children ahead of their political self-interest,” Lecce told a news conference.
“That is my message to the prime minister and anyone who seems to want to inject and infuse a needless partisanship at a time when parents want it to be a focused resolution-oriented table that gets deals that ultimately keeps our kids in class.”
Earlier this week, Trudeau suggested that Premier Doug Ford should spend as much time focusing on children’s education as he does on helping his federal counterparts.
It’s the latest barb traded between Ontario’s Progressive Conservative government and the federal Liberals, who have frequently attacked Ford on the election campaign trail, especially his funding cuts to education.
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See Also:
(1) Ontario Human Rights Commission to make accessible education announcement
(2) Schooling Trudeau on Ontario politics
(3) Doug Ford really isn’t a factor in the federal election
