Justin Trudeau's legagy on systemic racism

The announcement of Justin Trudeau's resignation kicked off the new political year in a spectacular way. Backed up against a wall, the Prime Minister thus put an end to nine years at the head of the federal government. While some welcome his legacy and his commitment to combat systemic racism, others are less tender in drawing up his record. All, however, fear that certain social advances will disappear if a Conservative government is ever elected.

As soon as he came to power in 2015, Justin Trudeau brought a new wind to the country. Young, dynamic, cool and promoting multiculturalism as a source of wealth, the 23 Prime Minister of Canada immediately presented himself as an ally of minorities. Nearly a decade later, and a few weeks before the end of his third term, it is time to take stock.

Under Justin Trudeau's leadership, significant advances in recognizing racial injustice have been made in Canada. He is the first to have surrounded himself with a diverse council of ministers, including an Aboriginal woman at the justice system, ministers of the Sikh faith, two ministers with disabilities, and to have appointed a cabinet that respects gender parity.

However, the real effect of its decisions on racialized communities — especially Black and Indigenous communities — and on other minority groups has varied, leading to symbolic successes, but also to disappointments at the end of some reforms.

An observation shared by several observers and political actors interviewed by La Converse, and behind which lies the fear of a setback on the social level, after the progress of recent years: the scenario of the election of a Conservative government led by Pierre Poilievre is more worrying than the departure of Justin Trudeau itself.

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Justin Trudeau's tumultuous relationship with First Nations

Justin Trudeau has often said it: he wanted to be the prime minister of reconciliation. His commitment to Indigenous Peoples is considered to be one of the cornerstones of his three mandates. On September 30, 2021, he launched the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Quite a symbol. But while some advances are welcomed by First Nations, who do not reject all his efforts, the disappointment remains great.

“I have been critical of Trudeau's policies from the start. It's true, there have been massive changes in legislation, policy, and even government structure over the past nine years. And he paid tens of billions of dollars, which is much more than Stephen Harper did during the 10 years he was prime minister under a Conservative government. But I think he never intended to make a real difference; I think it was rhetoric,” said Russell Diabo, a Mohawk activist and political analyst.

According to him, the reputation of Trudeau being close to the First Nations and eager to solve the problems of access to drinking water, repairs, inclusion, land claims... is overrated. In particular, he regrets the appearance of the term “Indigenous Peoples”, which would erase the “differences that exist between First Nations, Métis and Inuit.”

Among the grievances of some members of Indigenous communities, there is the great promise made by the leader of the Liberal Party as soon as he took office: to implement the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, launched under the Conservatives. As a result, out of the 94 calls to action, only 14 have been implemented. What's more, overa third have not even been started yet, or they are simply blocked, according to Indigenous Watchdog.

“I credit Trudeau for finding more money, but the problem is that it's not enough, because we're talking about the Indian Act, which has been in place for 148 years now, and has caused dispossession, poverty and underdevelopment on reserves. And Trudeau has invested tens of billions in this same Indian Act system. It didn't really change it,” says Russel Diabo.

Indigenous Watchdog highlights another disappointing commitment: while Ottawa promised in 2019 to invest $2 billion per year to provide Indigenous communities with educational facilities similar to that provided by the provinces, this goal was not achieved.

The same goes for the Liberal campaign promise to guarantee access to drinking water for Indigenous communities by 2021. According to the Assembly of First Nations (AFN), its members are 90 times more likely to have no access to clean water than other Canadians. More than 30 long-term water quality advisories have persisted for decades in some communities.

In 2019, the resignation of the Indigenous Minister of Justice, Jody Wilson-Raybould, following pressure from the Trudeau cabinet in the SNC-Lavalin bribery affair, also made an impression. As did the violent repression of the Wet'suwet'en by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police when they opposed the route of the Coastal GasLink gas pipeline in British Columbia.

These are all examples — and the list is not exhaustive — that leave a bitter taste for some First Nations people, who feel that their rights take precedence over Canada's economic or political interests. “What Trudeau has been implementing for nine years, he is doing as part of a communication strategy, talking about reconciliation and nation to nation. They did everything by saying that they were adopting and implementing the United Nations Declaration on First Nations Rights, but in reality they replaced it with a national interpretation. The United Nations Declaration contains international minimum standards in its articles, but these have been replaced by others that are less beneficial in Canada,” explains Russel Diabo.

However, another segment of Indigenous communities value Justin Trudeau's legacy more highly. Especially since the context of future political uncertainty worries many analysts, including Russel Diabo: “I think the next government will be a majority Conservative government, and I think it will be worse for Indigenous Peoples and First Nations.”

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Strong symbols for Black communities

Among the communities most affected by discrimination and police violence in Canada, the Black community has benefited from the support of the Prime Minister on several occasions. We will especially remember his participation in the rally against police violence in Ottawa following the murder of George Floyd. The head of government did not hesitate to put one knee on the ground for several minutes as a sign of support, despite criticism from some political opponents.

For Tamara Thermitus, a consultant and speaker specializing in discrimination issues, Justin Trudeau's record is mixed. It must be said that the Prime Minister has a poor track record. In 2019, he had in fact admitted to having coloured his face black or brown several times during disguised events.

“There's no denying what Prime Minister Trudeau did. He recognized his mistakes in relation to wearing Blackface, that's one thing; but he has also taken some measures, when often there are excuses, but no actions,” said the woman who was the first Black woman to chair the Commission on Human Rights and Youth Rights.

In particular, Thermitus highlights advances in the judicial field: “Significant work has been done to take into account the discrimination experienced by Black people in the justice system. But the record is complex, because from a concrete point of view, one might note that there were more appointments of minority judges, for example, but that is not an answer in itself. It is still necessary for minority judges to take progressive positions for this to really be an answer. We will know this by analyzing their judgments.”

The same observation on the economic level. Justin Trudeau focused on supporting Black entrepreneurs in order to reduce discrimination, which is particularly pronounced in access to capital, training, a network, etc. Last December, the government approved $189 million in funding to extend the Black Entrepreneurship Program for five years.

“Yes, it takes investments. Yes, it takes the recognition that there have been historical injustices. And yes, money is part of the compensation for historical injustices," says Tamara Thermitus. "But at the same time, don't kid yourself, it takes more. Structures must also be put in place because putting millions into the hands of individuals is one thing, but if the latter are confronted with systemic discrimination, their business will have a very hard time surviving. Especially since we are talking about $189 million over five years. You would have to know how many people will benefit from it to determine what this represents per entrepreneur.”

When it comes to police violence and racial profiling, again, Justin Trudeau has responded. In 2020, he declared that “systemic racism is a problem across the country, in all of our institutions, including all of our police forces.”

However, Black, Indigenous and Arab people remain the target of discrimination by some police officers, according to statistics. Despite his recognition of systemic racism and his support for the reform of police practices, Justin Trudeau has failed to make a real impact on the criminal justice system and law enforcement.

 However, it remains difficult to welcome the departure of the Prime Minister, when the budgets have not been voted on, which leaves the future government with the possibility of renewing certain commitments made by Justin Trudeau, believes Tamara Thermitus. “The Conservative Party, like the Trump government, talks about wokism and wants, in essence, to return to white privilege in full power, with people who are part of the show and the others, who are put on in the margin,” fears the speaker.

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Fragile progress in the fight against Islamophobia

Marked by a rise in Islamophobia - and antisemitism - and several tragedies, the Trudeau decade was also the decade in which Amira Elghawaby was appointed. She is Canada's first special representative responsible for the fight against Islamophobia.

A strong symbol for the country's Muslim communities. In 2019, the Prime Minister appointed Irwin Cotler, former Minister of Justice and Attorney General, as Canada's Special Envoy for Preserving the Memory of the Holocaust and Combating Antisemitism. “Even internationally, it was seen as a very important step forward in recognizing this form of hate. It was an extremely important step forward, and the work we were able to do was useful, beyond the symbol”, believes Elghawaby.

It must be said that the situation was worrisome. The members of the House of Commons, in Motion 103, call on the federal government to condemn Islamophobia in Canada. An initiative that has led to a series of protests and counter-demonstrations in the country. “A few years ago, the use of the term 'Islamophobia' was extremely controversial and politicized. Motion 103, presented to Parliament, caused rallies throughout the country marked by anti-Muslim hatred,” recalls Amira Elghawaby.

“We know that this conversation was very difficult in Canada, but it was so crucial.” Unwilling to criticize the policies of the person who created her office, she recalls that her office is not the Prime Minister's idea. It is in fact based on the 100 recommendations made by the community to the federal government following the National Summit on Islamophobia in 2021.

A year marked by the terrorist attack on the Muslim Mosque in London and the death of four members of the Canadian Muslim community, a few years after the attack in Quebec City. Recall that, on January 29, 2017, six people were killed and several seriously injured during a terrorist shooting at the Islamic Cultural Centre in Quebec City. That is why the Trudeau government proclaimed January 29 a national day to commemorate the attack at the Quebec City mosque and to act against Islamophobia.

“Canada experienced more deadly Islamophobic attacks against Muslims than any other G7 country from 2017 to 2021. All of this created an environment in which Canadian Muslims felt extremely worried about their safety and that of their families. It was extremely important for the federal government, including the Prime Minister, to recognize how devastating and deadly the phenomenon of Islamophobia had become in our country,” said the former journalist.

Since her appointment, Amira Elghawaby has been advising government officials and ministers. “Of course, I have spoken to Prime Minister Trudeau several times during my term, including most recently, in November, when he called on the government to define anti-Palestinian racism, which was really an important recognition of this intersectional form of Islamophobia that impacts communities,” says the woman who works independently of the government.

This question is all the more important as, over the past year, Justin Trudeau's image among the Muslim community has deteriorated. At the heart of this loss of trust is Canada's position in the face of the war that Israel has been waging since October 7, 2023.

“Over the past year and a half, Muslim communities have expressed expectations about what Canada should do in the face of war and violence in Gaza. And there is a lot of disappointment with the federal government's position," notes the Canadian Special Representative. "My mandate is national, but I mentioned the effects on our local communities. The war in Gaza and the horrible loss of life there have had an enormous impact on Canadian Palestinians.”

While some personalities continue to call for the resignation of Amira Elghawaby, accusing her of old positions, the possible election of a conservative government places a sword of Damocles above her head and, by extension, above the Muslim community whose rights she defends. Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre has indeed made it clear that he would like to see his position abolished.

The future of racialized people in Canada after Justin Trudeau's resignation will therefore largely depend on who succeeds him. Because even if the various communities give a mixed picture of the Trudeau years, they recognize a certain benevolence that facilitated dialogue, despite disagreements.

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