Avoid painting all police officers with the same brush in push for reform
OTTAWA—Racism is pervasive in Canada. It is found almost everywhere. We can all do better to stamp it out and make meaningful personal, as well as societal, changes. I have made stupid comments, cracked jokes, and given others what I thought were playful nicknames that in hindsight were not appropriate and offensive. That was wrong […]
Black Conservatives urge more engagement, action from CPC and beyond after endorsement flop
Leadership races are natural moments for self-reflection, and Black Conservative Party supporters say they hope the current race, and ongoing anti-Black racism protests, prompt a conversation about what more the party can do to address systemic racism and bring more Black Canadians into its fold—a conversation they say hasn’t happened yet in the race. “The […]
The never-ending outrage: Canadians need to finally come to terms with police brutality and racial injustice
OTTAWA—The video of RCMP officers attacking and punching Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation Chief Allan Adam is disturbing enough. But the truly shocking part of this episode was the conclusion by RCMP supervisors reviewing the incident that it was an appropriate use of force. Wood Buffalo RCMP said “it was determined (by supervisors) that the members’ […]
Senators want to grill cabinet ministers on government’s response to fighting anti-Black, anti-Indigenous racism
A group of Senators is calling for Liberal ministers to testify in the Red Chamber about the government’s role in fighting anti-Black and anti-Indigenous racism. Independent Senator Marie-Françoise Mégie (Rougemont, Que.) gave notice of a motion on June 16 that, if passed, would set up a committee of the whole in the Senate, and “receive” […]
Black Parliamentary Caucus issues raft of proposals to address racial inequities
The Black Parliamentary Caucus is appealing to governments across the country to act on a series of reforms aimed at addressing the structural inequities that disproportionately leave Black Canadians at a greater disadvantage. In a statement released on Tuesday, the caucus, which is chaired by Liberal MP Greg Fergus (Hull-Aylmer, Que.), outlined a series of […]
Speak out against racism, demand wholesale change in Canada’s police forces
OTTAWA—In the second quarter of 2020, racism and police brutality was brought to the forefront of the world’s consciousness. Black Americans, Native Americans, and allies closed down American cities as a measure of the stark and desperate urgency to change whole systems. Racism and police brutality have no place in any democracy. The movement crossed […]
‘It’s a lot of lip service’: Black federal public servants hope ‘Floyd effect’ will finally drive change as anti-racism movement grips Canada
Black public servants, already more likely to report being victims of racial discrimination than the rest of the federal bureaucracy, are hoping the “Floyd effect” will help drive the changes for which they’ve spent years trying to gain traction. “In some ways, this has had a positive effect in the amount of interest that it […]
Push to arm police with body cameras ‘euphemism’ for fatter budgets, says expert
The pandemic has added urgency to calls to address widespread racial inequities with large-scale reforms, say experts and parliamentarians, but some are split on whether Ottawa’s commitments so far are transformative enough. In a webinar on racism hosted Friday afternoon by the Pearson Centre, panelists butted heads over the government’s initial pledge to equip RCMP […]
It’s time for Canada’s next steps on sexual, reproductive health rights
A little more than a year ago, at the Women Deliver Conference in Vancouver, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Canada’s largest and most ambitious commitment to date to the health and rights of women and girls to the tune of $1.4-billion per year. With $700-million of that earmarked for sexual and reproductive health and rights, […]
Politics This Morning: Singh says Liberals unwilling to ‘meet halfway’ in talks over new emergency bill
Good Wednesday morning, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau delivered a commencement address to the class of 2020, commending them for their perseverance at a time when the world is facing heady challenges over how to fight climate change, systemic racism, and the global pandemic. “You came of age during events like Occupy Wall Street, the Arab Spring, the […]
