Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre indicated his support and standing alongside Alberta Premier Danielle Smith regarding the proposed restrictions on transgender youth, affirming on Wednesday that he is against transgender and non-binary minors using puberty blockers.

Facing a series of questions from journalists on Parliament Hill about his stance on gender-affirming medical care for children, Poilievre said, in his view, no one under the age of 18 should be allowed to use hormone therapies that help delay puberty-related development for gender reassignment purposes.

He said, "I believe we must protect parents' rights to make their own decisions about their children, that adults should have the freedom to make any decision they want about their bodies."

Last week, Smith issued a video on social media outlining her plans in advance to move forward with a series of changes around pronouns in schools and access to gender-affirming healthcare.

By framing the package in terms of "parental involvement" and "preserving choice," Smith's government seeks to achieve the following:

  Imposing a ban on "top and bottom" gender-affirming surgeries for all Alberta residents aged 17 and under;

  Imposing a ban on hormone therapy such as puberty blockers for those aged 15 and under who have not already started treatment;

  Requiring parental notification and consent before students aged 15 and under can change their names or pronouns at school; and requiring parents to opt in before teachers teach on LGBTQ2S+ issues such as sex and gender identity, among other measures.

In the video, the Premier said she is "uncomfortable" allowing "children to be encouraged or enabled prematurely to change their biology or natural development, no matter how well-intentioned," while pledging to strictly enforce child protection laws in cases where transgender youth are rejected or mistreated by their parents.

In his remarks to reporters, Poilievre said he agrees that "we must protect children and their ability to make adult decisions when they become adults."

Trudeau, along with several ministers, quickly condemned Smith's plans last week as targeting a vulnerable minority to score political points through "the most anti-gay policies anywhere in the country."

But even by Wednesday—after his party conference was instructed not to comment—Poilievre had not stated his position on Alberta's proposals.

During two press conferences in Toronto and Montreal on Monday and Tuesday, the Conservative leader responded to questions about his stance by accusing journalists who asked him to comment of "spreading misinformation" alongside the Prime Minister, while praising parental rights.

Poilievre said today, "Justin Trudeau is fanning the flames again, trying to divide Canadians and attack parents who are trying to protect their children, and he will eventually back down from this."

"Because he is not interested in protecting children, he is interested in using this as a wedge to distract from doubling housing costs and quadrupling carbon taxes."

Last September, at the federal Conservative conference in Quebec City, delegates voted to include a pair of policies in the party's rule book that would ban "life-altering medical or surgical interventions" for transgender youth and oppose the inclusion of transgender women in women-only spaces, such as sports teams and bathrooms.

Poilievre has not yet announced whether he will campaign on these decisions.

In response to Poilievre's comments, Alberta Liberal gay MP and Minister of Labour Randy Boissonnault said conversations about puberty blockers "should happen between the youth and their doctor."

He said, "I don’t see the word 'MD' after Pierre Poilievre’s name, or Danielle Smith’s name. So it’s not their business." "It’s irresponsible. It’s dangerous. Trans rights are human rights, and everyone who values human rights should question Pierre Poilievre and why he stands with Danielle Smith."

He is expected to consult with the LGBTQ2S+ community about the next steps, and Liberals have left the door open to more direct federal funding for court responses. Boissonnault said the message right now is: "Kill the bill" before it reaches the provincial legislature.

Earlier this week, Smith acknowledged in an interview on CTV's Power Play with Vassy Kapelos that the proposed surgical restrictions for gender affirmation are not based on current evidence of a problem but on "concern about what will happen," citing organizations that advocate for "providing treatments at younger ages."

Currently, Alberta residents under 18 are already ineligible for funding for lower surgery through the gender surgery program, and the age requirement to remind for top surgery (mastectomy) is 16 years old. According to Alberta Health, there was a total of eight chest surgeries among children "performed for gender-affirming reasons" in 2022.

As Smith holds firm to her proposed policies, Alberta students planned to organize a school strike across the province on Wednesday, following many protests that took place across Canada last weekend.